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PRESS RELEASE: Somali Women Circle Network urges Somali leaders to respect new Constitution

August 1, 2012 · 329160 Comments2012-08-01+15%3A37%3A53Sahra+Farah

Press Release

1st of August, 2012

Wednesday, July 25, 2012, the Somalia’s National Constitution Assembly (NCA), composed of 825 delegates, convened in Mogadishu, Somali, to review and make recommendations about the Somalia’s draft Constitution before the final ratification. The NCA delegates are chosen from all Somali clans.

As SWCN mentioned in previous press releases, the new Constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia ensured the representation of minimum 30 percent of women to participate in all aspects of the future Somali government. However, an early preliminary observation indicates that the National Assembly Constituent selected by some clan elders and religious leaders are hesitant to accept the constitution as it regards to women and their participation in office.

SWCN believes that the proposed quota of minimum 30 percent out of 275 ( 82.5) women members of parliament would be achieved successfully, if there is a strong commitment from all involved stakeholders, particularly, the leaders of the current government, the international community, clan elders and religious groups.

To ensure that the glimpse of hope that Somali women have seen so far should not disappear, we demand from the current government and the international community to take a bold action and commitment to watch over the women’s quota. It is a reality that more and more Somali women are involved in the post-conflict building of Somalia.

We also applaud the President’s and the Prime Minister’s leadership roles in recently addressing the importance and the legality of honoring women’s 30 percent quota. We commend some of the presidential candidates who addressed women’s issues, but it will take a strong commitment from them to achieve the proposed quota. SWCN, therefore, recommends that all presidential candidates have to declare their positions on women’s 30 percent quota.

We encourage SWCN members, friends, and supporters to continue our grassroots campaign by calling and pressuring the members of the National Assembly, the new parliamentarians and the presidential candidates to ensure that women’s quota are respected and materialized.

For SWCN campaign, please visit our website at www. Somaliwomenscircle.org. You can also share your feedback and update of your campaign with us by writing to us at

Somaliwomenscircle@gmail.com. We look forward collaborating with you on this important campaign. Together we succeed.

Sincerely,

SWCN Public Relations

August 1, 2012

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By Sahra Farah

Tags: Constitution, Mogadishu, Parliament, Somalia, Women