STORY: Somali women defend gender rule

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INFORMATION
LANGUAGE: SOMALI NATURAL SOUND
DATELINE: 5TH/OCTOBER/2016, MOGADISHU,
SOMALIA
SHOT LIST
1. Wide shot, Somali women civil society leaders and Goodwill
ambassadors in a meeting discussing the 30 percent roadmap for the
2016 electoral process
2. Close up shot, women leaders at the meeting
3. Med shot, Batulo Shiekh Ahmed Gaballe speaking at the
meeting
4. Close up shot, women listening at the meeting
5. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Batulo Shiekh Ahmed Gaballe,
Chairperson of the Somali National Womens Association and the
deputy of the lobby group Goodwill Ambassadors
The issue (30 percent quota for women) is being politicized and it is against
the development of the Somalia. I also believe it is against the Somali
government because somali women are part of the society. Women are
entitled to get job opportunities, participate in politics and have constitutional
responsibilities to perform for the country. If you oppose those responsibilities,
you are opposing development and well being of the country and Somalia's
position in the world. Let every part of the Somali society get its right.
6. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Hassan Ahmed Sadik, Member of the
Goodwill Ambassadors lobby group
In the time of war, we know the role women played when men were not doing
any useful work and systems had collapsed. Women became breadwinners
and led families. They took care of whole families including husbands. They
are compassionate, more active than men. As a result, they deserve a role in
government.
7. Close up shot, a participant listening at the meeting
8. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Hassan Ahmed Sadik, Member of the
Goodwill Ambassadors lobby group
It is not something brought by foreigners. Its a struggle by the Somali women.
It is women who asked men (for the quota) and they (men) agreed. The
international community has no involvement at all.

9. Wide shot, Somali women leaders in the civil society and

Goodwill Ambassadors in a meeting
10. Med shot, Somali women leaders in the civil society and
Goodwill Ambassadors in a meeting
11. Med shot, Somali women leaders in the civil society and
Goodwill Ambassadors in a meeting
12. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Asha Abdulle Siyad, Member of the
Somali Women Leadership Initiative
The lobby for women representation and participation in decision-making did
not start today. Its been a long struggle. It started when Somalia collapsed
into civil war. It started when men were fighting and women pushed for peace.
It started in 2000 in Djibouti, it got stronger in Garowe I and in Garowe III,
where the 30 percent quota was agreed. It's something which started a long
time ago. It is not being pushed by foreigners.
13. Wide shot, Somali women leader in the civil society and
Goodwill Ambassadors in a meeting
14. Med shot, Somali women leaders in civil society and Goodwill
Ambassadors in a meeting
15. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Asha Abdulle Siyad, Member of the
Somali Women Leadership Initiative
The country went to war. The most affected people were women and children
and now that the country is being rebuilt, the people most affected must have
a role to play in the affairs of the country.
16. Wide shot, Somali women leaders in civil society and Goodwill
Ambassadors in a meeting discussing the 30 percent roadmap for the
2016 electoral process
Somali women defend gender rule
Mogadishu, 5 October 2016 - Somali women leaders have called for a stop
to politicization of the 30 percent gender rule.
The women accused those opposed to the quota of using politics to deny
them their rightful share of parliamentary seats, despite the support received
from both the local population and the international community.
The chairperson of the Somali National Womens Association and the Deputy
of the lobby group, Goodwill Ambassadors, Ms Batula Ahmed Gabale, said
the 30 percent quota reserved for women was pragmatic since they make up
majority of the Somali population.
It is against the development of Somalia and I believe it is against the Somali
government. Somali women are part of the society and they deserve to get
jobs, participate in politics and have constitutional responsibilities to perform
for the country, the chairperson of the Somali National Women Association
added.

The women also received support from their male counterparts, who urged
electoral college delegates, mandated to choose members of parliament in
the forthcoming electoral process, to consider women candidates.
A member of the Goodwill Ambassadors lobby group, Mr Hasan Ahmed
Sadiq, said women lobbied for the 30 percent quota because Somalia is a
patriarchal society which had denied them their rightful share in parliament.
The Goodwill Ambassadors member dispelled claims that foreigners were
behind the campaign to have 30 percent of seats in parliament reserved for
women.
Its a struggle by the Somali women. It is women who asked men (for the
quota) and they (men) agreed. The international community has no
involvement at all, Sadiq noted.
He said a recent statement by the Somalia Religious Council, which opposed
the 30 percent gender rule, had confirmed that more needs to be done to
protect the rights of women.
Ms Asha Siyad from the Somali Women Leadership Initiative traced the push
for more representation in parliament to the year 2000 when a meeting held in
Djibouti resolved to champion womens rights. It was followed by meetings in
Garowe which resolved to lobby for 20 percent representation, before it was
increased to 30 percent in 2012.
Ms Siyad said when the state of Somalia collapsed, more than 25 years ago,
the people who were most affected were women and children. She said
women had to fend for their families including their husbands.
If children and women were the most affected, and now the country is being
rebuilt, the most affected people (women) have a role to play in the affairs of
the country, the official from the Somali Women Leadership Initiative added.
Somali women have been lobbying for the 30 percent quota of seats in both
lower and upper house to be reserved for them in the planned electoral
process scheduled before the end of year.