The Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development of the Federal Republic of Somalia oversaw the opening of a centre in Mogadishu dedicated to advocating for the implementation of Somalia’s 30% quota for female representation in parliament in 2021.

Women currently hold 24% of the 329 seats in Somalia’s lower and upper houses of parliament.

In June 2020, Somalia’s lower house approved a bill allowing for 30% of parliamentary seats to be reserved for women, but the bill has not yet been approved by the upper house.

The centre will also have a dedicated hotline that will assist in the campaigns of women who are running for parliamentary seats.

The minister of @MwomenHRD H.E @HXabsade along with state minister of the office of @SomaliPM
officially cut the ribbon the newly refurbished complex of women’s quota 30 per cent advocacy hotline call center in Mogadishu @UNFPA_SOMALIA @UN_Women @UNSomalia @unicefsomalia pic.twitter.com/yT1ZHDy21A

— Ministry of WomenHRD (@MwomenHRD) January 24, 2021

The Minister for Women and Human Rights Development, Hanifa Habsade, stated that more centres would be opened across the country in order to ensure equal opportunities in politics for women in Somalia.

[Picture courtesy of @MwomenHRD]