SOMALIA: Somaliland: First Lady Concludes a National Conference on Women

Hargeisa (Somalilandpress) – The first lady opened a national conference for the women at Ambassador Hotel. The conference was attended by 120 women from regions of Somaliland. The conference was organized by Nagaad Umbrella, which is an umbrella for Somaliland women organizations.

The conference continued for the last two days and it will conclude today. The purpose of the conference was mainly to produce an evaluation and accountability system for the government and aid agencies in Somaliland. Attendees included the First lady, Amina Sheikh Mohamud Jirde, the managing director of Nagaad Umbrella, Kaltuun Sheikh Hasan, the executive director of Nagaad umbrella Anisa Yusuf, the operating manager of Nagaad umbrella, Kinsi Hussein Qawdhan, the director of the national human rights commission, Amina Abdilahi, the manager of the office of humanitarian assistance, Aamina Mohamud Diriye, the chairman of Canlelight organization, Shugri Haji Bandare and number of Somaliland parliamentarians members.

The first lady opened the conference and thanked the members for their attendance. She welcomed the representatives from different regions of the country to the capital.

“It is an honor for me to open this wonderful conference organized by Nagaad.” She told the attendees.

She also thanked Nagaad umbrella for their wonderful support of the women rights. She requested the audience to rally behind Nagaad umbrella, which she says faced many problems during its establishment.

The First Lady stressed the importance of the role women play in Somaliland Society. Madam Amina Sheik Mohamoud said,

“Women play a very wonderful role in our society. They are the backbone of this nation. They should get their rights. They should be inspired and educated.”

Also, the managing director of Nagaad umbrella told the audience the mission of the conference.

“The mission of the conference is to discuss and debate the rights of women in job market, education, and the women's participation in Somaliland politics.” She told the attendees of the conference.

She added that the conference attempts to address the challenges that women face, but it also highlighted women's achievements and contribution in our country.

This is one of the first conferences dedicated to women in Somaliland. Participants talked about different issues that hinder women achievement in Somaliland. Different women organizations participated in the conference, which came from all across Somaliland.