"This rate, and an average number of seven births per woman in her life time, translates into a lifetime chance of 1 to 15 for a Somali woman to die as a result of pregnancy and childbirth complications," UNICEF Somalia Representative, Christian Balslev-Olesen, said in a statement here to commemorate the International Women's Day.
 
According to her: "Sustained efforts to provide knowledge and economic benefits in the communities are the best way to guarantee women a better future in Somalia, and to protect girls and women from abuse, exploitation and discrimination." She also revealed that more than 98% - the highest in the world - of Somali women aged between seven and 12 years underwent female genital mutilation.
 
"Complications such as excessive bleeding, prolonged obstructed labour and infections are the major causes of death at childbirth. Anaemia and FGM have a negative on maternal health," the UNICEF official added.
 
The UN agency expressed concern that prolonged conflict in Somalia had denied women access to quality antenatal, delivery and postnatal care "with an almost complete lack of emergency obstetric referral care for birth complications."
 
It called for the empowerment of women through access to knowledge and social services to improve their livelihoods, as well as access to clean water and intellectual advancement. 10 March 2007 - PANA