Each year on 11th of October, the world commemorates International Girl Child Day, this day is reminder for all to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world. Since 2011 when United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170 to declare October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child, every year this occasion is celebrate throughout the world.
This year’s commemoration comes at a time when girls and women are facing many problems and when many of them are victims of rape, murder, FGM, lack of access to education and forced marriage. Since the vision of WIMISOM is to realize empowered women in media who can affect change in Somali women’s lives, in order to make that vision a reality, we focus on raising awareness and advocacy campaigns on the issues of women and girls. Using both mainstream and social media, we have conducted a short tem media awareness campaign in commemoration of International Girl Day 2020.
The messages we have disseminated through the campaign emphasized the role of media especially women journalists in eradicating violence against women and girls. Through the messages we have conveyed the sense of responsibility of women in media in advocating for change and in raising the awareness of communities toward the plight of young girls and women in general.
WIMISOM Executive Director Nasra Abdirisak has highlighted the huge role which media can take in the fight against women and girls. She said “The media is the most powerful tool in the world and can play a significant role in eradicating all forms of violence against women and girls. I call on Somali media outlets and journalists especially women to take action in order to eradicate the dangerous practices against Somali women”
In recent years, there were increasing cases of rape, murder, gang rape, physical and mental assault on young girls in Somalia. To fight and eradicate this horrendous acts against Somali girls we need to create community awareness and to engage all the sector of the society including government, clergy, elders, youth and women. The media can play a huge and influential role in building such a coalition and to foster discussions on ways of addressing such issues.
Female genital mutilation is an act which goes against human rights and human morality. FGM has catastrophic effects on the life of its victims. It has huge effects of trauma and health problems. The health effects of FGM are felt by girls and women in their entire life span from the day of the circumcision which the girls endure a great deal of pain and hemorrhage. This causes some girls to develop PTSD. Women who have undergone FGM also suffer when in delivery. We need serious efforts of community awareness and advocacy to eradicate this horrible practice.
Education is basic human right. Many Somali girls do not get their opportunity to education, they do not get basic health services and many of them face the problem of forced early marriage which causes many problems to them and causes many of them to drop out of school. Marriage also put huge deal of responsibility and psychological burden on young girls who are not prepared physically and mentally to the new role of wife or mother. Through our messages on this occasion, we emphasized the need for engaging the community and sensitizing them on this problem of child marriage as well as proposing solutions to it.
Through the past, we have conducted activities aimed at raising awareness of the overall community on rape and sexual violence. We have also provided capacity building opportunities for journalists in reporting on human rights violations and violence against girls, women and children. These efforts are a core part of our mission and we cooperate with all interested parties in creating an environment which is safe and promotes the rights of women.
WIMISOM will work with all sectors of the community, civil society organizations, local partners and international organizations on fighting all injustices against women and girls and toward changing the narrative toward women in Somalia. Specifically, we will focus on building the capacity, providing mentorship and coaching to journalists.
In conclusion, as WIMISOM we call upon all journalists to take their indispensable role in eradicating the harmful practices and acts of violence which women and girls face. We encourage journalists to create awareness by sharing stories and producing programs which shed light on such problems. We encourage media to initiate discussion among the community on such issues in order to raise the level awareness and affect meaningful change in the lives of Somali women.
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