Mogadishu – Marking the start of the annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, the United Nations in Somalia today called for more progress in fighting this scourge, with a focus on three areas: the adoption of legislation to strengthen the protection of all persons from gender-based violence, greater support for survivors and accountability for perpetrators of gender-based violence.

“The current laws that protect persons, especially women and children, who are the most vulnerable to sexual and gender-based violence, need to be amended to reflect current realities, such as the definition of rape which should meet international standards,” the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, Catriona Laing, said.

“Somali women and girls need to be able to go about their daily lives safely and securely, and a key step forward is the urgent adoption of legislation to address crimes involving sexual violence – there is an urgent need for Somalia to invest in legislation that will ensure that persons who commit these crimes will be held accountable,” Ms. Laing added.

On support for survivors and accountability, the United Nations is working with the Government to provide one-stop centres where women and girls can go to following a sexual violence incident. At these centres, survivors receive medical and psychosocial support and have the opportunity to report such incidents to the police in a safe and secure environment. 

Commencing on 25 November, in observance of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the annual 16 Days campaign runs till 10 December, Human Rights Day. It aims to increase awareness, galvanise advocacy efforts and share knowledge and innovations to end violence against women.

The theme for this year’s campaign – “Invest to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls” – emphasises the need to invest in different prevention strategies to stop violence before it happens. A key step in preventing gender-based violence is to invest in legislation that will create a safe environment for women and girls.

During the 16-day period, the UN in Somalia will work with the Federal Government of Somalia, its Federal Member State counterparts and civil society to highlight the need to end gender-based violence with a special emphasis on the need to accelerate the legislative process for enacting laws to protect women and girls. The UN is committed to supporting Somali women and girls to achieve their full potential and live a life free from violence of all forms.