Somali National News Agency
So
Ar
Search
  • Home
  • Local News
    Local NewsShow More
    Somalia’s Immigration Agency Unveils Major Reforms and Service Milestones in Mid-2025 Review
    June 4, 2025
    Somalia’s Senate Speaker Visits Cathedral Mosque in Moscow
    June 4, 2025
    Acting Deputy Prime Minister Salah Jama Opens National Environment and Climate Change Summit
    June 4, 2025
    President Hassan Sheikh Engages Political Parties on Advancing One-Person, One-Vote Elections
    June 4, 2025
    Somalia and Saudi Arabia Discuss Enhanced Media Cooperation
    June 4, 2025
  • World News
    World NewsShow More
    Machine Gun, AK-47 Rifles Recovered as 4 Al-Shabaab Terrorists are Killed in Garissa
    June 3, 2025
    Israel kills 2 Gaza aid seekers as UN warns of ‘catastrophic hunger’
    May 31, 2025
    A miraculous story of a Hujjaj from Libya
    May 27, 2025
    UNA Participates in International Conference on Islamophobia in Azerbaijan
    May 27, 2025
    At least 11 hurt in South Carolina beach town shooting
    May 26, 2025
  • Articles
    ArticlesShow More
    A miraculous story of a Hujjaj from Libya
    May 27, 2025
    Nation First, Politics Later: PM Hamza Appeals to Youth Amid Growing Political Tensions
    May 24, 2025
    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to be present at the signing ceremony in Hong Kong on May 30.
    China Leads Historic Effort to Establish International Mediation Body
    May 24, 2025
    From Yunnan to Somalia: A Path Out of Poverty
    May 13, 2025
    Doha Hosts the 26th Session of the Council Conference of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy
    May 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
    Quay Renovation Works – Supply and Installation of Fenders and Bollards
    April 11, 2025
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

Official Reopening of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Archives

CultureEducationLocal News
November 23, 2024

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

Somalia’s Immigration Agency Unveils Major Reforms and Service Milestones in Mid-2025 Review

Mogadishu, SONNA – The Immigration and Citizenship Agency (ICA) of Somalia has released its mid-2025…

June 4, 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

West Africa bloc chairman says Mali’s coup was ‘contagious’

ACCRA (Reuters) - The chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said on Thursday that a coup…

NewsWorld News
February 3, 2022

President Hassan Sheikh sends his condolences to the families of the victims in Beledweyn

Dhusamareb, (SONNA) - The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, HE Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, has sent his condolences to…

Local News
September 24, 2023

Beledxawo Administration Stands Firm with Federal Government Against Ethiopian Aggression

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The Deputy Governor of Beledxawo District, Abdifatah Nur Mataan, has affirmed the district's total support for the…

Local News
December 9, 2024

Internal Security Minister and his delegation arrive in Iraq

Mogadishu,(SONNA) - The Minister of Internal Security of the Federal Government of Somalia, H.E Abdullahi Sheikh ismael (Fartaag) and a…

Local News
January 13, 2025

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?