Newsline
Towards abandoning female genital mutilation/ cutting in Somalia for once, and for all
27 February 2013 – Ten-year-old Kheiriya has a secret. The secret is that, unlike most girls her age in Boorama, she has not been circumcised. The soft-spoken girl is scared to let others know.
Somali teenager attends the Pan African Forum on Children to highlight the problems of children in her country
November 2012 - Thirteen year old Habibo Omar Jama, who lives in displaced person’s camp in Bossasso, North East Somalia, was one of 23 children representing African children at a high level Pan African Forum on Children in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia this week
Case stories: Youth for Change Programme
27 November 2012 - Hundreds of young Somalis, seen as being are at risk of becoming involved in violence, have learnt new skills and given renewed hope by a programme in Puntland and Somaliland.
In Somalia, UNICEF supports efforts to push back against a tide of violence against women and girls
20 November 2012 – Mayeda* was displaced in 1992 and again in 2011 because of famine in southern Somalia. She has lived in Tarabunka camp for a year.
Japan pledges renewed support to reintegrate criminal and at-risk Somali youth back into communities
30 August 2012 – Empowering Somali youth by providing opportunities for work and education was identified as a Government of Japan priority when it announced the renewal of its support to a UN-led programme steering “at-risk” youth away from violence.
“We’re starting from scratch”: Efforts to entrenching child protection in Somali communities
Conflict and a lack of strong central government means Somalia’s children are uniquely vulnerable to abuse and violence. But as parts of the country grow increasingly stable, there are calls for legislation to be enacted to protect children from harm.
Religious leaders join the fight to end female circumcision in Somalia
Religious leaders in Somaliland and Puntland declared that they are against FGM/C and call for its ban. Read more.
Grass-roots ‘social workers’ urge new attitudes to protecting Somali children
Read about UNICEF and partners' efforts on the ground to protect vulnerable Somali children from violence, exploitation and abuse.
Somali religious leaders and high-level officials join hands to put an end to all forms of FGM/C
Seventy religious leaders and some of Somaliland’s highest officials participated in a public gathering in Hargeisa to declare their support and commitment to the abandonment of all forms of the practice of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C).
Intensive efforts reap progress towards ending female genital mutilation in Somalia
Ubah Abdullahi is an advocate who speaks out in and outside of her village urging people not to subject their girls to FGM.
Child Protection Advocates provide safety nets for vulnerable Somali children
UNICEF's work with partners towards the creation of a protective environment for children, by increasing the community capacity to care for and protect their children.
Community, Puntland administration and UNICEF collaborate to provide health services
January 2011: Two health posts constructed in Girible ‘A’ and Yelho communities in Bossaso, Northeast Somalia (“Puntland”) are making a great difference in the lives of their communities. The health posts were constructed through community participation..
Despite challenges, UNICEF partners in Mogadishu strive to reach women and children
September 2010: It is hard to think of a place where children are more at risk than Somalia. As fighting continues in the capital, Mogadishu, and in other parts of the central southern regions of the country, violations of children’s rights go on...
Life skills-based education builds young Somalis' self-confidence
July 2010: To see and hear Muna Ali Hirsi, 24, a vibrant and motivated life-skills mentor lead a discussion with 20 youths on the challenges they face, it is hard to believe that Ms Hirsi used to be timid and retiring...
UNICEF Radio youth reporter interviews 16-year-old Hassan Abdi Elmi about life in a Somali refugee camp...
NEW YORK, USA, 18 December 2009: This year marks the 20th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. In honour of the anniversary, UNICEF Radio youth reporter Mostafa Mohamed Abdurrahman spoke with Hassan Abdi Elmi, 16,...
Somali communities say ‘No’ to female genital cutting
NAIROBI, Kenya, 14 December 2009: Last month, hundreds of men, women and children gathered in a Somali stadium in the early morning heat to witness a historic declaration: the collective abandonment of female genital mutilation and cutting (FGM/C)...
Somaliland launches new Juvenile law
October 2008: The administration of Somaliland (Northwest Somalia) officially launched the new Juvenile Justice Law at a national conference held from 28 to 31 August 2008. The primary aim of this Law is to provide fair justice to child offenders...
Training boosts girls' confidence
June 2008: 18-year-old Saida Noor Ahmed from Bossaso, Northeast Somalia (‘Puntland’) is a beneficiary of the girls’ leadership initiative (GLDI), a UNICEF-led process that has helped boost her confidence...
Community trainers to boost FGM/C fight
November 2006: Sacdiyo was one of 12 Somali Coordinators and Supervisors who traveled far across Africa to Senegal from three zones of Somalia: Northeast (Puntland), Northwest (Somaliland) and South Central, to take part in a one month seminar...
Swiss give support for FGM/C eradication
November 2006: UNICEF Somalia is working in partnership with the international NGO ‘Tostan’ to introduce an innovative approach to the abandonment of Female Genital Mutiliation/Cutting (FGM/C) in Somalia...
Youth review HIV/AIDS magazine
November 2005: Twenty-two young people from across Somalia recently met in Hargeisa, Northwest Somalia (‘Somaliland’) to discuss ways in which they could reach more Somali youth and educate them about HIV/AIDS prevention and control...
Youth - Girls' sports initiative picks up
August 2005: Girls in Hargeisa, capital of Northwest Somalia (‘Somaliland’), now have a rare chance to engage in sports activities courtesy of a unique partnership between UNICEF and the Somaliland Culture and Sports Association (SOCSA)...
Youth - Somali boys visit Spain
August 2004: Four Somali youth in mid-2004 participated in a summer football camp at Real Madrid FC, one of the world’s greatest football clubs...
