Somalia: Women and girls left vulnerable at all levels of the community
The worsening droughts and conflicts in Somalia have resulted that women and girls left to be survivors of GBV & FGM in the IDP sites and also in the host communities.
Millions of people have been displaced resulting in high levels of family separation that is, inadvertently, exposing women and girls to Gender-Based Violence (GBV). As families struggle to cope with the current drought and conflict situation, women and girls are taking on more responsibilities as female-headed households increase. Women are responsible for 90% of preparing and buying food. With the onset of the drought and the conflicts, women’s businesses have been adversely affected forcing many to lose their sources of income.
The key protection concern is Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was noted that there was an increase in FGM as girls were away from school. FGM opens the avenue of early marriages. As the drought exacerbates, many girls are dropping out of school to support their parents in the food search.