STORY: 16 Days of Activism begins with call to end conflict-

related sexual violence in Somalia

DURATION: 3:50
SOURCE: AMISOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
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CREDIT REQUIRED: AMISOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/SOMALI NATURAL SOUND
DATELINE: 25/NOVEMBER/2019, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

SHOT LIST:
1. Wide shot, participants from Somali youth groups, women leaderships, local
councils, internally-displaced persons camps and the Federal Government of
Somalia’s justice ministry. The Somali Police Force and other civil society
organisations attend a 16-day awareness-raising fora on eliminating violence against
women in conflict, specifically Sexual Gender-based Violence (SGBV) and other
Conflict-related Sexual Violence (CRSV)
2. Close up shot, a participant listening to Gloria Jaase, AMISOM protection officer
speak at the fora
3. Wide shot, Gloria Jaase, AMISOM protection officer speaking
4. Close up shot, Batulo listening
5. Med shot, Somali youth listening
6. Med shot, officers from the Somali Police Force listening
7. Close up shot, Saida Mohamed Hashim, Child Protection Adviser, Ministry of
Justice and Judicial Affairs listening
8. Wide shot, participants attending
9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Gloria Jaase, AMISOM Protection Officer
“It reminds us of our commitment to ensure advocacy for survivors, to ensure
awareness raising, and to ensure that in different countries, the laws are amended
to ensure the protection of women and children.”

10. Med shot, participants listening at the fora

11. Wide shot, senior AMISOM and Somali Police officers listening
12. SOUNDBITE: (English) Gloria Jaase, AMISOM Protection Officer
“We know that if we strengthen community protection mechanisms, we will be able
to achieve sustainable peace. So it’s high time that all stakeholders come together
and ensure that transition into the peaceful Somalia,”
13. Wide shot, Saida Mohamed Hashim, Child Protection Adviser, Ministry of Justice
and Judicial Affairs speaking
14. Med shot, participants listening
15. Wide shot, participants listening
16. Close up shot, a Somali police officer listening
17. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Saida Mohamed Hashim, Child Protection Adviser,
Ministry of Justice and Judicial Affairs
“

18. Pan shot, participants at the fora

19. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Batulo Sheikh Ahmed Gaballe, Chairperson Somali
National Women’s Organisation
“We have so many people who are displaced inside the country and they don't have
a decent home for themselves and their children. There are many violations against
Somali children and women who live in the camps. They need to be sensitized
against those violations”

20. Wide shot, a AMISOM senior gender officer conducting a training session
21. Close up shot, a AMISOM senior gender officer speaking
22. Med shot, senior Somali police officers attending
23. Med shot, participants listening
24. Close up shot, a AMISOM senior gender officer speaking
25. Med shot, participants clapping
26. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Marwo Bashir Ahmed, Member, Somalia National
Women Union
“Am happy to attend the event. This was really needed and the topics discussed
were also very relevant. I hope they will be implemented because women face many
challenges.”

27. Wide shot, group photo

16 Days of Activism begins with call to end conflict-related sexual violence in

Somalia

Mogadishu, 25 November—On the first day of the 16 Days of Activism for No

Violence against Women and Children, participants at a public awareness forum in
Mogadishu called for an end to violence against women in conflict, gender-based
sexual violence and conflict-related sexual violence.
Organized by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), the forum brought
together youth groups, women’s organisations, local councils, internally-displaced
persons and officials from the Federal Government of Somalia to explore avenues
for reporting abuses, survivor assistance at the community and police levels, and
referral arrangements in cases of violations.

Each year on November 25, the world kicks-off the 16 Days of Activism Against
Gender-based Violence campaign which ends on International Human Rights Day, on
December 10.

“This day reminds us of our commitment to ensure advocacy for survivors, to ensure
awareness raising, and to ensure that in different countries laws are amended
towards the protection of women and children” said AMISOM Protection Officer,
Gloria Jaase.

For the 16 days of activism, AMISOM is going to hold a series of workshops and
outreach programmes in various parts of Somalia aimed at advocating for the end to
gender-based violence and other forms of violence against women and children,
which ties into AMISOM’s campaign for community-led initiatives for sustainable
peace.

“Our plan is to ensure that civil society organizations, community members as well
as youth and key community leaders work together with AMISOM on gender, child
protection and women’s protection,” Jaase said.

Women and children in Somalia are victims of gross violations in the ongoing armed
conflict, with some criminal elements using sexual violence as a weapon of war.
Amongst the most vulnerable groups are women and girls living in internally
displaced camps and areas still under the control of Al-Shabaab and other armed
terrorist groups.

AMISOM Police Gender Coordinator, Stella Sedame, urged the participants not to
remain silent but to report any cases of gender-based sexual violence and conflict-
related sexual violence that happen in their communities.

“Do not let the fire in you die in this room. Go back home and help victims and
survivors of gender-based sexual violence and conflict-related sexual violence. But
most importantly, remember that the privacy of the victims and survivors must be
protected,” she urged.
Saida Mohamed Hashim, Child Protection Adviser with the Federal Ministry of
Justice and Judicial Affairs, said Somalis have to speak up if gender-based sexual
violence and conflict-related sexual violence is to end. “Stop the silence and report
any cases of violence against women. The Federal Government of Somalia is
committed to end any forms of violations, and give everyone access to justice,” she
said.