Join our webinar 'Addressing gender-based violence and online violence: community-led initiatives in Somalia and Yemen'
29 November 2024
Join our webinar 'Addressing gender-based violence and online violence: community-led initiatives in Somalia and Yemen' on Monday 9 December at 13:00 UTC – 1pm UK time, 4pm Somalia and Yemen time, 8am Eastern time.
This webinar will highlight the vital role of community-led initiatives in effectively preventing and responding to gender-based violence (GBV), including technology-facilitated online violence. Four women activists from Somalia and Yemen will share their experiences and insights.
Data collection in Somalia, especially on sexual and gender-based violence, faces significant challenges, limiting effective responses. To address this, Saferworld, Somali Women’s Studies Centre (SWSC) and Somali Women’s Development Centre (SWDC) developed the Violence Observatory System, increasing access to GBV services from 27.5 to 80 per cent in the project areas. Subsequently, together with Bay Women Association Network (BAYWAN), this system has been upgraded to a field-based Early Warning and Early Response (EWER) system, monitoring and tracking wider conflicts and security incidents in real time. Community-led data collection strengthens collaboration between authorities and community members, particularly women, in improving GBV and conflict prevention and in promoting effective response.
Online violence and cyber crimes in Yemen, long overlooked as a risk for women and girls, are now in the spotlight thanks to women’s hubs supported by core and flexible funding through the Resourcing Change project – a partnership between Yemeni women's rights organisations and civil society organisations, Saferworld, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), and Women for Women International (WfWI). Their efforts to raise awareness among communities and authorities have driven stronger violence prevention measures, including the launch of a governmental cybercrime unit.
Speakers will be:
Aamina Abdurahman
Aamina is the Director of the IFTIIN Women’s Rights Development Organization (IWRDO) in Somalia’s Southwest State. Known for her dedication to community empowerment, she leads efforts to restore vital services affected by regional conflicts. IWRDO is a key voice in advancing women’s rights and fostering resilience in local communities.
Afraa Khaled Al-Hariri
Afraa is a Yemeni lawyer, human rights expert, and the Country Director of the Peace Track Initiative Foundation. With a background in public law and women’s studies, she has been a key advocate for women's rights and peacebuilding in Yemen. Despite facing significant personal and professional challenges, she remains a pioneering figure in Yemen’s legal and social reforms.
Shukria Dini
Shukria Dini, Founder and Executive Director of the Somali Women’s Studies Centre (SWSC), is a gender expert with over 15 years of experience, who micromanages donor-funded programmes intended to advance women's empowerment, gender equality and inclusion in Somalia. She holds a Ph.D. in Women’s Studies and played a pivotal role in securing the 30 per cent quota for women’s representation in parliament. SWSC is Saferworld’s partner implementing the EWER project in Jubaland, Somalia.
