Gender equality112 and women's empowerment were described as some of the most significant challenges Somalia faces.113 The country ranked third last in 2024 on the UNDP Gender Inequality Index,114 with women and IDPs being among the most vulnerable categories in Somalia.115 Somalia is one of the few countries that has not ratified the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) as of March 2025,116 or the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa.117 Women and girls in Somalia experience humanitarian ‘crises’ in different ways due to existing gender inequalities and norms, systemic disparities and power dynamics.118
As of 2023, Somalia’s population was 18 358 615, out of which 9 160 786 were women.119 According to the 2020 Somali Health and Demographic Survey (SHDS), 46.5 % of women had no education, 4.7 % completed primary school, 6.1 % secondary and 5 % had higher education.120 Between 2021 and 2023, the gross enrolment rate of girls at primary education was 83 %, 29 % at secondary level and 2.3 % at the tertiary level.121 As of February 2024, 19.6 % of seats in the parliament were held by women in Somalia.122
- 1.2.1. Gender based violence (GBV), types, prevalence and situation of women in the Somali society, including forced and child marriage
(a) The legal framework
(b) Gender based violence (GBV)
(c) Early and forced marriage
(d) GBV and situation of women under Al-Shabaab, including forced and child marriage
(e) Situation of women who left Al-Shabaab and repercussions for leaving Al-Shabaab - 1.2.2. FGM/C and repeated FGM/C
(a) FGM, forms, practices, performers and (extended) family’s role
Prevalence
Forms
Societal attitudes and practices
Performers and family’s role
(b) Repeated FGM, forms and practices
(c) Repercussions for refusing to undergo the practice - 1.2.3. The situation of single and minority women, notably in IDP camps, or women and girls with lack of network support
- 112
UNDP, Somalia, Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, n.d., url; EEAS, 2023 Human Rights and Democracy in the World (country reports), 29 May 2024, url, p. 142
- 113
UNDP, Somalia, Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, n.d., url
- 114
UNDP, Advancing Rule of Law in Somalia, updated as of January 2025 url, p. 2
- 115
Federal Republic of Somalia, Somali National Development Plan 9-2020-2024, 5 January 2020, url, p. 100
- 116
EEAS, 2023 Human Rights and Democracy in the World (country reports), 29 May 2024, url, p. 142; also see UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies, UN Treaty Body Database, n.d., Ratification Status for Somalia, filtered by country, url
- 117
UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia, Isha Dyfan*, A/HRC/57/80, 23 August 2024, url, para. 38
- 118
UNOCHA, Somalia Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2025, January 2025, url, p. 15
- 119
World Bank Group, Population, total – Somalia, 2023, url; World Bank Group, Population, female – Somalia, 2023, url
- 120
Somalia, NBS, The Somali Health and Demographic Survey 2020, April 2020, url, p. 24
- 121
UNHRC, East, Horn of Africa and Great Lakes (EHAGL) Region, Gender Equality, 2024 Annual Update, 19 February 2025, url, p. 3
- 122
UN Women, Data, Somalia, n.d., url