Hargeisa (SD) – Somaliland Minister of Employment, Social Affairs and Family Mustafe Mohamud Ali has today officially opened in Hargeisa, a conference discussing the general challenges of rape and violence against women.

The conference, which opened at the Mansoor Hotel, was attended by government officials, members of civil society organizations, women’s political parties, university students and various women, the one-day conference addressed the plight of women and violence against vulnerable people.

The Minister of Employment and Social Affairs, Mustafe Mohamud Ali, who opened the one day conference, spoke about the general situation of violence against women and the current state of affairs in the country.

“The biggest abuse is rape. The double is circumcision, and so on. “Unfortunately, rape is on the rise day by day.” Said the Minister of Employment and Social Affairs, Mustafe Mohamud Ali.

He added, “As a ministry, we are expediting the rape law that is currently in the Senate, to punish the perpetrators.”
Speaking at the conference, Somaliland National Human Rights Commission Chairman Mohamed Barud Ali said efforts are under way to have the legislature pass a law to address violence against women.

“Government and human rights organizations have been in meetings for some time to discuss the rape law. It is now before the Senate. We are working on passing it into law.” Said the National Human Rights Commission Chairman Mohamed Barud Ali.

The conference discussed the challenges facing Somaliland in relation to violence against women and vulnerable people, and was attended by members of civil society organizations and women from political parties, who spoke at length about the problem of rape and other forms of violence against women, and demanded that violence against women and rape be addressed.