Strategic Area:                              Democratic Governance

Alignment with strategic plan:            Crisis Prevention and Recovery

Project Name:                               Gender and Human Rights

Duration:                                         2006 - 2009

Project Summary:
The gender and human rights project is part of the Rule of Law and Security strategy and aims at enhancing the understanding and investment in the promotion and protection of human rights in Somalia, in particular fundamental rights, women’s rights and justice for children. The work of the Human Rights and Gender project is undertaken in partnership with the Law Enforcement and Judiciary projects. The project also implements specific activities with a view to addressing critical issues of human rights and gender in partnership with local authorities; and also works towards building the capacity of civil society so that they can promote and protect human rights and gender equality. In partnership with UNICEF, the project addresses juvenile justice and justice for children which deals particularly with children in conflict with the law (victims, witnesses and offenders). The aim of the women and children desks and the juvenile justice component is to give women and children a secure and professional response when reporting cases of rape, sexual abuse, child abuse or domestic violence.

Expected outputs of the project are:
•    Enhanced understanding and investment in the promotion and protection of human rights in Somalia, in          particular fundamental rights, women’s and  children’s rights
•    Implementation of gender equality policy in judiciary and law enforcement
•    Mechanisms in place to monitor application of human rights
•    Break the silence on gender-based violence

Key Achievements:
In order to achieve greater awareness and adherence to human rights standards and gender equality, the project has supported: (i) establishment of Women and Child Desks in police stations, (ii) policy dialogue and advocacy to address gender-based violence, (iii) concurrent training of female and male police cadets in police training academy and for special protection unit, (iv) Setting up of Prison Condition Monitoring Committee which is composed of members of the custodial corps, local human rights non-governmental organizations, a medical doctor and the Ministry of Justice, (v) training for journalists on basic journalism skills and investigative journalism and (vi) scholarship programme for female law students and professionals.