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Mainstreaming Women in the Maritime Sector (WiMS) Action Plan across Somalia

From May to August 2021, I-SSR supported the Minister of Ports and Marine Transport (MoPMT) and the Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development (MoWHRD) along with the Federal Member States in advancing the Women in the Maritime Sector (WiMS) initiative’s priorities. FGS and FMS representatives have initiated a mapping exercise to collect data on women’s participation in the maritime sector, identifying current percentage and capacity levels. Meetings were held with UNSOM and EUCAP Somalia to conclude the WiMS Comprehensive Action Plan. Both agreed to support a series of FGS/FMS in-person consultative workshops with all relevant FGS and FMS stakeholders in respective Federal Member States to develop sustainable projects which may be presented to the international partners later this year.

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Advancement of women’s participation in the Somali Security and Defence Institutions

UNSOM has launched a new project to advance women’s participation and role in security and defence institutions. From May to August 2021, the I-SSR section has collaborated with OPM Peacebuilding Coordination and Gender Human Rights units to advance women’s participation in the Somali security sector and implement the WPS agenda project. Consequently, I-SSR has finalised an action plan with OPM, which will aid in identifying national barriers to women’s recruitment, retention and promotion, and provide concrete data on the current representation of women in the security and defence sectors. It will also establish institutional mechanisms and recommend policy reforms to increase women’s representation and participation in these sectors. Two national consultants have been hired to implement the project with the support of funding provided by the United Nations Headquarters, Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA). Simultaneously, engagement with ministries, security institutions, civil society, and minority groups as local partners is underway to establish a working group of experts/focal points supporting and providing expertise throughout the project implementation.

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Security Sector Governance Interim Programme and Next Steps

Further to the closure of the Joint Security Sector Governance Programme (JSSGP) on 30 June 2021, the I-SSR team has worked in collaboration with international partners and the Somali counterparts to identify the best course of action for the transition phase until a new programme is designed and approved.  

A Project Initiation Plan (PIP), whose purpose is to allow the development of sustainable strategies for ministries at the Federal Member State (FMS) level, has been fully funded thanks to the financial support from the U.K. and UNDP. The primary emphasis of the PIP is on the implementation and monitoring of the Somali Transition Plan (STP), with particular attention dedicated to civilian oversight over police forces. To this end, approximately 50 ‘champions’ have been carefully selected and funded across the country.

Looking ahead, a new programme to support security sector governance reforms will be developed in the coming months, with continued consultation with relevant stakeholders.

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Parliamentary Capacity Building workshops rollout  

A two-day training on civilian oversight of the security sector was conducted in Mogadishu over 7-8 June 2021 for 20 Members of Parliament (MP) from the Galmudug Federal Member State (FMS) Parliament Security & Human Rights committees, as part of a series of outreach workshops aiming to engage with all FMSs. The delegation included 4 women MPs.

The capacity building workshop was delivered by the UNSOM-UNDP Integrated Security Sector Reform (I-SSR) Unit, in collaboration with other sections within the UNSOM Rule of Law and Security Institutions Group (ROLSIG) and the UN Regional Office in Galmudug. The workshop, funded by the Joint Security Sector Governance Programme (JSSGP), offered MPs exposure to a broad range of topics relevant to their oversight functions of the security sector, including constitutional provisions, oversight ‘toolkit’, federal security budget, and gender issues in the context of security.

Following the workshop, interest was reported from other FMS in receiving comparable consultations and capacity building exercises, with plans currently being finalised to deliver similar workshops in the coming months to HirShabelle and Jubaland parliamentarians, followed by South West and Puntland FMSs. Programmatic proposals are also being developed to expand this type of engagement that would see FMS being offered additional capacity building support to reinforce their work in oversight of their respective security institutions. 

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