Challenging Harmful Attitudes and Norms for Gender Equality and Empowerment in Somalia

This project aims to challenge discriminatory social norms that perpetuate harmful practices such as sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and female genital mutilation and cutting (FGM/C) by empowering adolescent girls between the ages of 10 and 19 to claim their rights over their bodies. The project works to engage with adolescent boys and girls communities religious leaders media and government to prevent and respond to SGBV. Project activities include: (1) engaging with women and men caregivers including grandmothers and schools to define action plans to reduce SGBV child early and forced marriage (CEFM) and FGM/C in their communities; (2) providing training to adolescent girls between the ages of 10 and 19 to identify SGBV and understand their sexual and reproductive health and rights linking them to information and services and safe spaces when facing SGBV; (4) supporting girls' and boys' (between the ages of 10 and 19) school-based clubs to discuss gender equality and positive social norms including harmful impact of SGBV CEFM and FGM/C; and (5) organizing awareness-raising with government officials policy-makers religious and community leaders and law enforcement officers on laws and policies that promote gender equality at federal and state level.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) decreased discriminatory social norms and practices that perpetuate and validate SGBV against women and girls including FGM/C and CEFM; (2) increased voice and agency of adolescent girls between the ages of 10 and 19 in Somalia to make and act on life decisions for themselves including with regards to SRHR and SGBV; and (3) improved effectiveness of all civil society and media to advocate for women and girls' rights.