Somali youth brainstorm on tackling gender based violence

Youth in Mogadishu are reflecting on the need to work with the government to fight sexual and gender-based violence still a rampant phenomenon in Somalia.

Youth participants discussed the issue during a symposium on Monday as they looked forward to get the government fully engaged in tackling gender base violence.

“We need to go to the villages and carry out door to door campaigns because it is in the communities where child abuse is rife. Girls are subjected to female genital mutilation and are forced into marriage. This has to be stopped, “ a participant, Fahmo Ali Hassan said.

Observers link the increase in violence to the political instability in the country

“There is need to improve the security and stability of country, if we are to stop these abuses. One of the biggest problems that the country is facing is insecurity but given that the security situation is improving, we hope that the violations will decrease,” another participant Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said.

Since 1991 and the fall of the Mohamed Siad Barre Somalia has been struggling to rebuild itself in order to face insecurity and the judicial challenges

In Mogadishu, the campaign wants to train 300 youth from all the 17 districts on how to raise awareness on human rights.