Somalia

Women remain under-represented in all political and formal decision-making forums, the judiciary, and the police force, while those living in territory governed by Al-Shabaab are largely restricted from public life. Women who speak out—including human rights defenders, politicians, and journalists—often face harassment, legal restrictions, and violence. Displacement, food insecurity, and sexual violence by armed actors and civilians continue to impact women and girls. For instance, reporting has alleged rape and sexual exploitation by members of the African Union peace enforcement mission, which is there to address violent extremism. Social taboos and stigma oftentimes prevent survivors from seeking help, while legal frameworks remain inadequate to effectively recognize and prevent these violations. Yet, women continue to do vital work, including through maintaining Somalia’s first women-only media organization, Bilan, and advancing community peacebuilding efforts. Women’s roles within the clan system have also allowed them to serve as vital interlocutors for conflict resolution. 

Somalia’s upcoming electoral cycle, including parliamentary and presidential elections in 2026, may become dangerous flashpoints for violence, particularly as a new framework for universal suffrage is implemented in order to counter the influence of clans. Despite this change, women are still likely to face greater challenges in exercising their voting rights. The persistent threat posed by extremist groups may also further intensify should they exploit mounting hunger by using food as a recruitment tactic or by weaponizing food access—strategies likely to increase women’s risk of violence and malnutrition. However, reconstruction and recovery efforts have created new openings for women’s economic empowerment; stabilization of conflict would be an initial step toward creating pathways for women and girls to pursue educational and employment opportunities.

The extremist group al-Shabab has advanced to just 40 kilometers outside the capital city of Mogadishu. Although the frontline has stabilized, concern persists that the group is aiming to control towns outside Mogadishu. This poses a continued threat to women and girls exposed to displacement, violence, and potential restrictions on their mobility and access to basic services. Al-Shabab is also being increasingly perceived as a legitimate source of governance in territories it controls; this may create challenges for aid access given the group’s restrictions on humanitarian organizations. Women and children comprise 80 percent of Somalians in need of humanitarian support. 

Somalia declared a drought emergency on November 14, 2025 after the fourth consecutive season of rainfall failure. Drought has eliminated fresh water sources—forcing women and girls to walk farther to reach access points, increased food prices, contributed to the spread of disease, and compromised hygiene and sanitation.

Somalia is preparing for elections in 2026 amid conflicts over the voting system and political disputes regarding implementation of universal suffrage. While these reforms could theoretically expand voting access for women by streamlining the electoral process, there is concern that these conflicts may increase political tension and distract from al-Shabab’s mounting offensive.

Somalia continues to grapple with mounting and multi-faceted humanitarian hardship which disproportionately impacts women and girls. Healthcare facilities have been forced to close due to the US foreign aid cuts, while WFP cash assistance to combat malnutrition will end for 29 districts in January 2026. Food insecurity—exacerbated by conflict, climate change, and foreign aid cuts—is expected to worsen through January 2026, with women-headed households facing greater obstacles to obtaining adequate nutrition.

More than 100 female and male journalists participated in gender mainstreaming and sexual harassment workshops between February and June 2025. These efforts aimed to create better working environments for women journalists and develop a more gender-sensitive media industry.

The launch of the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda and the upcoming YPS National Action Plan provide new opportunities for girls to lead peacebuilding and development efforts. YPS is integrated with the Women, Peace and Security agenda, resulting in young women constituting 48 percent of participants in recent empowerment efforts.