SHE Associates Accompanied the Somali Delegation at Women Peace Security Week 2024
As an ongoing technical expert provided to Somalia by the Government of Canada in partnership with Alinea International, in 2023 and 2024, SHE Associates accompanied the Somali Delegation to New York at Women Peace and Security Week, which included the Minister for Family and Human Rights Development and the Ministry’s Director of Gender.
It was a time of reunions and new friendships, as we attended the WPS Focal Points Network Meetings, which function as a cross-regional forum for countries and regional bodies to share best practices, improve coordination, and strengthen the implementation of the Women Peace and Security Agenda.
Did you know Somalia has a joint Somali Women’s Charter and a National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, but also has Local Action Plans developed and administered by its Federal States?
We ended the week by co-hosting a hybrid panel event at UN Women headquarters which had global participation. This was hosted in partnership with the UN Women, the Ministry of Family and Human Rights Development and the Government of Canada titled From National Ambitions to Local Realities: Somalia’s Journey in Localizing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda featuring opening and closing remarks by UN Women and an incredible lineup of panelists:
- H.E. Lieutenant General Bashir Mohamed Jama, Somali Federal Minister of Family and Human Rights Development
- Jacqueline O’Neill, Canada’s Ambassador for Women, Peace and Security
- Sadia Mohamed Nur, Director of Gender, Somali Federal Minister of Family and Human Rights Development
- Colonel Iman Elman, Somali National Army’s Civil Affairs Directorate
- Idil Absiye, Regional Policy Specialist – Women, Peace and Security, Eastern and Southern Africa Region (ESARO), UN Women
We discussed Somalia’s Journey in Localizing the Women Peace and Security Agenda, showcasing Somalia’s Leadership in advancing the WPS Agenda, an in-depth look into understanding NAP localization in the context of insecurity and post-conflict, best practices and lessons learned and what it truly means to empower Somali women as agenda of change.
