IOM Works with Women and Men Affected by Conflict to End Gender-Based Violence in Somalia

Dipping their hands in orange paint, a group of Somali women stood together and gently placed their palms against a canvas on the wall. With each palm print, they expressed with words what had been denied to them for so long. 

"I am here, and I deserve to be safe!" could be heard. "I am a person who deserves care and not violence!" others chanted. 

The scene took place at a rehabilitation centre where women previously associated with violent extremist groups receive support and assistance as part of their transition. Meanwhile, in another of such centres, women dipped paintbrushes in orange paint and flung it on the canvas in an act of defiance. As they threw the paint, they chanted the slogan "I matter!" 

These cathartic activities were some of the events that the International Organization for Migration (IOM) implemented with local organizations in Somalia to mark the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in 2021. For over two weeks, IOM organized activities across four rehabilitation centres in Baidoa and Kismayo, two major Somali cities, to raise awareness about GBV and discuss ways to eliminate it. 

Women and men who have suffered some of the worst consequences of the Somali conflict attended the activities. Government counterparts from the Ministries of Women and Religious Affairs and Security also participated. 

The activities were facilitated by staff holding different roles in the centres, which enriched the participants' perspectives. The familiarity of the facilitators with the local context also allowed the women and men to express themselves through artistic expressions familiar to them. 

The sessions included Abaay-Abaay, a traditional gathering where women discuss issues affecting their lives. Social workers and religious teachers facilitated the dialogue sessions that explored psychosocial wellbeing and topics related to the different acts of violence against women, such as physical, psychological, and social. 
Other sessions were led by tailoring teachers who worked with students to make masks and banners with messages calling for action. Restaurant management staff also contributed to teaching women how to make cupcakes and other baked items with key messages related to the 16 Days of Activism. Henna teachers also created orange henna patterns depicting the theme on the hands of the participants. 

"Women in the centres were not used to asserting themselves or their personhood." said Lucky Omaar, IOM's Women, Peace and Security lead and who led the campaign. "These activities led to meaningful discussions on the topic of violence against women and on how activism against this violence often centres on men and the roles women play in their lives, such as wife. Men are exhorted to end violence in respect of these relationships instead of ending violence simply because it is a violation against women as people."

For many women, it was their first time attending a discussion related to GBV and sharing their grievances with a big group. IOM staff felt their enthusiasm throughout the campaign as they created a bond with one another while speaking up about their concerns. 

"They were very emotional. They have endured so much grief and pain in their lives. But, that day they put everything on the table," said the Kismayo Centre Manager, "We have never seen them coming forward like that before. It showed us a side of them they kept hidden."

The discussions were educational for all the participants, including for the staff facilitating the sessions. "We were able to discuss some forms of abuse that we had never considered as such. For example, the denial of equal education," said the Baidoa Centre Manager.

There were candid discussions about the lack of opportunities for women and girls in the Somali society who often suffer from less access to education and skilled work. All these factors marginalize them further from decision-making processes in their communities, leading to an increased risk of violence. 

The 16 Days campaign also brought some positive surprises. The number of men who participated in the activities exceeded expectations and evolved ideas within the two weeks. 

"During the kick-off event at one of the male centres, some men asked the female staff guiding the activities to step aside and let the male colleagues conduct the activity," said Lucky. "They told her it was inappropriate for a woman to lead activities in the male space and that they had never seen anything of the sort." 

The staff used the opportunity to open a discussion on how exclusion and lack of interaction can foster the conditions that lead to violence against women and how it impacts society. The men in the centres began to open up as the campaign continued. 

"Some men shared that they had witnessed gender-based violence against women," said the GBV and case management Supervisor. "Some even shared their own lived experiences as survivors of domestic violence." 
These confessions were unexpected for the staff and prompted them to create more opportunities for discussion on the many ways individuals and the community can unite to eliminate violence against women and men. 

In total, close to 400 people, including women and men affected by conflict, staff and government officials participated in the campaign across the four rehabilitation centres in Baidoa and Kismayo. All the participants wore orange in solidarity with the movement and committed to engaging others in their communities outside the centres in discussions around ending GBV. 

As the campaign drew to an end, one of the women declared, "I matter because I am a person, respect me, my body and my rights, not because I am someone's daughter, sister, or wife but  because I am a person who deserves your respect equally."