Somali National News Agency
So
Ar
Search
  • Home
  • Local News
    Local NewsShow More
    Somali President Appoints Mohamed Ali Nur as New Mogadishu Port Director
    August 28, 2025
    President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud Meets with Djiboutian Foreign Minister in Mogadishu
    August 28, 2025
    Somali Foreign Minister Welcomes Djiboutian Counterpart to Mogadishu
    August 28, 2025
    Somali Government Provides Details on Visit of UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
    August 28, 2025
    Somalia’s Ambassador to Turkey Praises New Diplomatic Relations with Kazakhstan
    August 28, 2025
  • World News
    World NewsShow More
    Hamas accepts an Arab ceasefire proposal on Gaza as Palestinian death toll passes 62,000
    August 19, 2025
    “Gunman Kills 3 in Texas; Explosion in Pennsylvania Leaves 2 Dead”
    August 12, 2025
    Somali-American Candidate Abdirizak Mohamed Ali Runs for Mayor of Hopkins, Minnesota
    August 8, 2025
    Israel kills aid worker in Gaza amid rising starvation deaths, US envoy meets with hostages’ families
    August 3, 2025
    Ghana Donates 40 Metric Tonnes of Cocoa to Palestine in Act of Solidarity
    August 2, 2025
  • Articles
    ArticlesShow More
    Somalia’s Political Leaders Forge a Path to Democracy
    August 25, 2025
    Ode to Yan’an: How a Song Inspired Chinese Youth During Wartime
    August 19, 2025
    Somalia’s Story Is More Than the Siege Narrative. It’s Time the World Reported It That Way
    August 13, 2025
    Somali and Allied Forces Deal Major Blow to Al-Shabaab in Coordinated Offensive
    August 6, 2025
    Somalia’s Financial War Against Al-Shabaab: Key Achievements and Strategic Milestones (2022–2025)
    August 4, 2025
  • Business
    BusinessShow More
    Somalia Unveils the Blueprint for a Modern and Sustainable Mogadishu
    December 21, 2024
    Djibouti Launches $57.4 Million Youth Entrepreneurship Project to Combat Climate Change
    November 25, 2024
    FM meets Minister of Investment of Saudi Arabia
    October 28, 2024
    President Hassan Sheikh Inaugurates New LPG Storage Center in Mogadishu
    May 12, 2024
    Collaboration of ICT transformation for digital Infrastructure
    October 24, 2023
  • Sports
    SportsShow More
    Mogadishu Stadium to Host Star-Studded Match Featuring Somali Legends and International Football Icons
    May 27, 2025
    Arsenal held at Brighton while Man City bounce-back continues
    January 5, 2025
    Galmudug wins the Inter-State Football Tournament
    January 29, 2024
    Somalia set for two int’l friendlies ahead of WC qualifier clashes against Algeria and Uganda
    October 10, 2023
    Chicago woman, 104, skydives from plane, aiming for record as the world’s oldest skydiver
    October 3, 2023
  • Tenders
    TendersShow More
Reading: UNFPA calls for wider efforts to fight against gender-based violence
Share
Font ResizerAa
Somali National News AgencySomali National News Agency
  • SOMALI
  • ARABIC
Search
  • Home
  • Local News
  • World News
  • Articles
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Tenders
Follow US
©2023 || All rights reserved SONNA
Somali National News Agency > Blog > Local News > UNFPA calls for wider efforts to fight against gender-based violence
Local NewsNews

UNFPA calls for wider efforts to fight against gender-based violence

By admin
Last updated: July 12, 2020
3 Min Read
Share

Mogadishu (SONNA) – The unprecedented fight against gender-based violence and harmful practices; including Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and early marriage should be prioritized as part of the wider efforts to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 among the Somali population.

According to the recently published Somali Health and Demographic Survey (SHDS), annually, one in 10 ever-married women experience physical violence perpetrated by their spouse. Lockdown measures to contain COVID-19 and the resultant economic impacts are associated with increasing household tensions, which are likely to result to an upward surge in the cases of spousal violence.

FGM is almost universally practiced in Somalia, despite years of campaigns and the negative impact associated with the practice. According to SHDS, 99 percent of women have undergone FGM of which two out of three have weathered the extreme form of mutilation. Girls in Somalia, forced to stay at home due to COVID-19, are now undergoing FGM in their homes. COVID-19 could have far-reaching impact on the effort to end FGM, with a potential 2 million FGM cases occurring over the next decade that could have otherwise been averted.

FGM has lifelong consequences for girls, has no health benefits and harms girls and women in many ways. FGM promotes early marriage among girls, a practice that robs girls of life opportunities stopping them from reaching their full potential. Further, the SHDS report shows that 33 percent of women are married by age 18 and 140 per 1000 women aged 15 to 19 years have given birth.

The COVID-19 pandemic puts the young Somali girls at a greater risk of early marriage and pregnancies potentially killing hopes of bettering their lives and that of their families. Maternal mortality in Somalia remains high with 1 in 20 women aged 15 expected to die of pregnancy/birth-related complications by age 49. FGM, early marriage, low uptake of modern contraception at only 1 percent, and poor uptake of anti-natal care compounded by high unskilled and home deliveries contribute to high maternal mortality rates.

COVID-19 cases are already straining health facilities a situation that is likely to contribute significantly to a reduction in anti-natal care attendance and an increase in home deliveries. UNFPA calls for the speedy passage of the Sexual Offences Bill and FGM Bill in Somalia. These are vital in preventing and criminalizing all sexual offences and eradicating FGM.

On this World Population Day, we call attention to the vulnerabilities and needs of women and girls during the COVID-19 crisis, and why protecting sexual and reproductive health and rights and ending the shadow pandemic of gender-based violence is imperative, especially in these challenging times.

SOURCE :UNFPA

Share This Article
Facebook Whatsapp Whatsapp Email Copy Link Print

MORE NEWS

Ode to Yan’an: How a Song Inspired Chinese Youth During Wartime

ArticlesCulture
August 19, 2025

Kenya’s small farmers find respite in avocados amid changing climate

NAIROBI(SONNA) As crop diseases and pests rise in Kenya amid a rapidly changing climate that…

March 11, 2023

Somali President Appoints Mohamed Ali Nur as New Mogadishu Port Director

Mogadishu, Somalia – The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, has…

August 28, 2025

Nimcaan Hilaac appointed to lead Waberi National Band

Mogadishu (SONNA)-Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism of the Federal Republic of Somalia, H.E. Mohamed…

March 3, 2020

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Somalia’s Supreme Court President Attends Judiciary and Greening of Africa Conference

Nairobi Kenya, SONNA)-: Somalia's Supreme Court President Bashe Yusuf Ahmed is attending the 3rd Judiciary and Greening of Africa conference…

Local News
April 3, 2023

Somali Cabinet Approves Critical Undersea Cable Regulation in its weekly meeting

Mogadishu, Somalia – June 12, 2025 – The Cabinet of Ministers of the Federal Republic of Somalia convened its weekly…

Local News
June 12, 2025

Somalia welcomes Kenya’s reopening of airspace

The Somali government on Thursday welcomed the reopening of the airspace by Kenya following a month-long closure due to a…

Local News
June 12, 2021

Hamar Jajab District commissioner killed in a treacherous attack

Mogadishu (SONNA): District commissioner of Hamar Jajab district in the Banadir region, Mohamed Abdi Hayle, has been killed in a…

Local NewsNews
April 17, 2021

Somali National News Agency established in 1964. It is one of the main pillars of the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism.

  • Home
  • Local News
  • World News
  • Articles
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Tenders
  • SNTV
  • RADIO MOGADISHU
  • DALKA JOURNAL
  • TOURISM DEPARTMENT

Follow US: 

  • MoICT
  • VILLA SOMALIA
  • OPM SOMALIA

All rights reserved SONNA

©2023

Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?