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MOGADISHU — The Ministry of Family and Human Rights Development of the Federal Republic of Somalia organized a major national event to commemorate the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, highlighting the state’s efforts to enhance social protection for women and children.
The Somali National News Agency (SONNA) reported that the event, hosted in the capital Mogadishu, witnessed a broad diplomatic and human rights presence, including representatives from active UN organizations such as UNICEF and UNFPA.
Members of the Somali Parliament from the Family Affairs Committee participated in the meeting, reflecting a strong legislative will to support government trends aimed at changing harmful traditional practices within society.
At the beginning of the ceremony, the Director General of the Ministry of Family, Mr. Mohamed Bashir Omar, delivered a welcoming speech in which he reviewed the updated national strategy adopted by the ministry to raise social awareness about the dangers of these practices.
As reported by SONNA, the Director General revealed a package of legal and procedural measures, culminating in the approval of a draft law prohibiting female genital mutilation, describing it as a bold and historic step.
For their part, representatives of participating international organizations praised the pioneering role played by the Somali Ministry of Family, stressing that Somalia is moving steadily toward aligning its local legislation with international human rights standards.
Participants affirmed the international community’s commitment to continuing technical and financial support for projects aimed at protecting women’s rights, emphasizing that close cooperation with the ministry is the key to ensuring the sustainability of these results.
The event also included extensive discussions on the importance of linking legal legislation with cultural awareness, as attendees agreed on the need to involve religious and community leaders in change campaigns to ensure the message reaches all regions.
In a concluding speech, the Deputy Minister of Family and Human Rights Development, Mr. Mohamed Osman Nastaro, renewed the Somali government’s strict pledges to eliminate all forms of violence and discrimination affecting women’s dignity and physical integrity.
The Deputy Minister reviewed a series of upcoming executive steps the government will take to ensure the enforcement of the new law, including training programs for monitoring authorities and expanding outreach to victims to provide necessary care.
The Somali official stressed that the government considers the file of women’s rights an integral part of the process of national building and stability and that protecting girls from harmful practices is an investment in the future of the Somali family.
The event concluded by emphasizing that celebrating this international day is not just a passing memory, but rather a national action charter that brings together all partners to work in the spirit of one team for a safe and prosperous Somali society.
Somalia’s transition from the stage of advocacy to the stage of criminal legislation against FGM represents a radical shift in the philosophy of rights and freedoms management. This trend reflects the state’s desire to break the chains of traditional practices that for decades hindered the full integration of women into development paths, placing Somalia among the rights-advanced nations on the African continent.
