STORY: Somali women leaders urge swift passage of

pending electoral bill

TRT: 3:11
SOURCE: UNSOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
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CREDIT REQUIRED: UNSOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
LANGUAGE: SOMALI/ NATURAL SOUND
DATELINE: 03/MARCH/2019, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

SHOT LIST:

1. Wide shot, Somali women leaders taking part in the roundtable discussion on
Somali women’s political participation
2. Mid shot, Former Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Culture, Faduma
Ahmed Alim giving her views during the roundtable discussion on Somali
women’s political participation
3. Close up shot, Former Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Culture,
Faduma Ahmed Alim, giving her views during the roundtable discussion on
Somali women’s political participation
4. Wide shot, Chairperson of Somali Women’s Leadership Initiative (SWLI), Asha
Abdulle Siyad, giving her views during the roundtable discussion on Somali
women’s political participation
5. Mid shot, Chairperson of Somali Women’s Leadership Initiative (SWLI), Asha
Abdulle Siyad, giving her views during the roundtable discussions on Somali
women’s political participation
6. Mid shot, Somali women leaders taking part in the roundtable discussions on
Somali women’s political participation
7. SOUNDBITE: (SOMALI) ASHA ABDULLE SIYAD, CHAIRPERSON OF SOMALI
WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE (SWLI)
“We came to exchange ideas and to take stock of the progress made, taking
into consideration our past and our current situation so that we can
adequately prepare for the upcoming elections in 2020.”

8. Wide shot, Somali women leaders taking part in the roundtable discussions
on Somali women’s political participation
9. Close up shot, Fawzia Yusuf Haji Adan, member of the federal parliament and
Chairperson of the National Democratic Party, listening during the
roundtable discussions on Somali women’s political participation
10. Mid shot, Shipra Bose, Senior Gender Advisor at the United Nations
Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) listening during the roundtable
discussions on Somali women’s political participation
11. SOUNDBITE: (SOMALI) ASHA ABDULLE SIYAD, CHAIRPERSON OF SOMALI
WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE (SWLI)
“The electoral law which provides for the 30 percent quota on women
representation has not been passed and it is our hope that it is passed by
both the House of the People and the Senate and that the draft constitution
will also be amended to reflect elect that.”

12. Wide shot, Somali women leaders taking part in the roundtable discussions
on Somali women’s political participation
13. Mid shot, Somali women leaders taking part in the roundtable discussions on
Somali women’s political participation
14. Wide shot, Somali women leaders taking part in the roundtable discussions
on Somali women’s political participation
15. SOUNDBITE: (SOMALI) HALIMA ISMAIL IBRAHIM, CHAIRPERSON OF THE
NATIONAL INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL COMMISSION (NIEC)
“This conference is about the rights of the Somali women and coincides with
the events to mark the International Women’s Day. This conference is very
important for us as the Electoral Commission since we are preparing for
elections at the end of 2020, which explains why the civil society
organizations have gathered here so as to discuss how to enhance their
participation in the elections.”

16. Mid shot, Somali women leaders taking part in the roundtable discussions on
Somali women’s political participation
17. Mid shot, Chair of Karan District Women Association, Suldano Ahmed
Mohamed, giving her views during the roundtable discussions on Somali
women’s political participation
18. Close up shot, Chair of Karan District Women Association, Suldano Ahmed
Mohamed, giving her views during the roundtable discussions on Somali
women’s political participation
19. SOUNDBITE: (SOMALI) ZEINAB MOHAMED HASSAN, FOUNDER AND
CHAIRPERSON OF THE SOMALI GENDER EQUITY MOVEMENT
“The reason we came here is to discuss the future of Somali women and how
they will participate in politics and their involvement in the decision-making
process.”

20. Wide shot, the Chairperson of Women, Education and Voicing

Entrepreneurship, Asli Ismail Duale, giving her views during the roundtable
discussions on Somali women’s political participation
21. Close up shot, the Chairperson of Women, Education and Voicing
Entrepreneurship, Asli Ismail Duale, giving her views during the roundtable
discussions on Somali women’s political participation
22. SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) ASLI ISMAIL DUALE, CHAIRPERSON OF WOMEN,
EDUCATION AND VOICING ENTREPRENEURSHIP
“When it comes to business and the economy of this country, the people
who are helping this country are women, whether they are selling tea in the
street, or they are importing food or importing oil to this country. Women
 constitute 60 percent of this country’s economy. Only 40 per cent is owned
by men. Ironically they are not seen anywhere in decision-making.”

23. Mid shot, Somali women leaders taking part in the roundtable discussions on
Somali Women’s political participation
24. wide shot, Somali women leaders taking part in the roundtable discussions
on Somali Women’s political participation
25. Mid shot, Shipra Bose, Senior Gender Advisor at UNSOM, taking notes during
the roundtable discussions on Somali women’s political participation

Somali women leaders urge swift passage of pending electoral bill

Mogadishu, 3 March 2019 - Somali women leaders today called on members of the
federal parliament to approve a pending electoral reform bill that would enshrine
the principle of a 30 per cent gender quota in future national legislatures.

“The electoral law which provides for the 30 percent quota on women
representation has not been passed, and it is our hope that it is passed by both the
House of the People and the Senate and the draft constitution will also be amended
to reflect that,” said Asha Abdulle Siyad, the chairperson of the Somali Women’s
Leadership Initiative and convener of the roundtable discussion.

The forum was held under the theme “Somali women unite for inclusive politics”
and drew more than 30 women representing the federal parliament, civil society,
the National Independent Electoral Commission (NIEC), diaspora communities,
political parties and academia.

Ms. Siyad said the discussions will take stock of the progress made by Somali women
to date and review the challenges still facing them as they prepare for one-person,
one-vote elections scheduled to take place in 2020.

The roundtable was supported by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia
and is one in a series of events organized by Somali women leaders ahead of the
International Women’s Day celebrations that will be held on Friday, 8 March.

A joint communique on the way forward will be issued at a three-day Somali

Women’s Convention, which commences tomorrow in Mogadishu.
The NIEC chairperson Halima Ismail Ibrahim lauded the roundtable event, noting
that the discussions will help Somali women overcome the obstacles that surface
during elections.

“This conference is about the rights of the Somali women and coincides with the
events to mark the International Women’s Day,” said Ms. Ibrahim.

She added that the electoral commission will work closely with civil society to
educate the public about the electoral reforms being undertaken ahead of the
country’s next round of elections.

Participants at the meeting discussed a variety of topics ranging from the

constitutional review process and affirmative action to electoral and political party
processes and barriers to women’s participation in politics.

During the 2016 electoral process, female representation in the federal parliament
rose from 14 per cent in the outgoing legislature to 24 per cent. However, the
increase fell short of the 30 per cent quota goal, which women leaders are planning
to endorse for the 2020 elections.

The chairperson of the non-governmental organization Women, Education and

Voicing Entrepreneurship, Asli Ismail Duale, lamented what she called the
marginalization of women in decision-making processes and called for effective
action to empower them.

“When it comes to business and the economy of this country, the people who are
supporting this country are women. Women contribute 60 per cent of the country’s
economy while men contribute 40 per cent, yet ironically women are not seen
anywhere in decision-making,” Ms. Duale stated.