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Political Settlement in Somaliland: a Gendered Perspective

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Political Settlement in Somaliland: a Gendered Perspective The Bartlett Development Planning Unit Political Settlement in Somaliland: A gendered perspective Michael Walls, Marie-Luise Schueller and Amina-Bahja Ekman with Amina-Milgo Mohamoud Warsame, Suad Ibrahim Abdi, Kinzi Hussein Kowden, Haroon Ahmed Yusuf and Omer Eid Qalonbi March 2017 dpu Development Planning Unit Political Settlement in Somaliland: A gendered perspective By Michael Walls, Marie-Luise Schueller and Amina-Bahja Ekman with Amina-Milgo Mohamoud Warsame, Suad Ibrahim Abdi, Kinzi Hussein Kowden, Haroon Ahmed Yusuf and Omer Eid Qalonbi UCL Ethical Approval Project ID: 8171/001 Cover photo: © Kate Stanworth, Hargeysa, 2016 Financial support from ESRC and DFID is gratefully acknowledged. The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and not necessarily those of ESRC or DFID. Political Settlement in Somaliland: A gendered perspective Michael Walls, Marie-Luise Schueller and Amina-Bahja Ekman with Amina-Milgo Mohamoud Warsame, Suad Ibrahim Abdi, Kinzi Hussein Kowden, Haroon Ahmed Yusuf and Omer Eid Qalonbi March 2017 dpu Development Planning Unit 2 Political Settlement in Somaliland: A gendered perspective About the authors Michael Walls is a Senior Lecturer at University College London’s (UCL) Bartlett Development Planning Unit (DPU) and, for the past thirteen years, his research has focused on the political economy of the Somali Horn of Africa, including the evolving political settlement in Somaliland. He was part of the coordination team for international election observations to Somaliland elections in 2005, 2010 and 2012, as well as for the 2016/17 voter registration process. Marie-Luise Schueller is the Policy and Campaigns Manager at Progressio where she works on issues of gender and governance concerning Southern Africa and the Horn of Africa. From 2007 to 13 she was based in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where she worked for Christian Aid on community-based conflict transformation and local governance reform. She was part of the coordination team for the international observation of the Somaliland 2016/17 voter registration process. Amina-Bahja Ekman is an MPhil/PhD student at the DPU at UCL. Her research is focused on the political economy of Somaliland, with a particular focus on questions of inequality and identity. 3 Political Settlement in Somaliland: A gendered perspective Acknowledgements We acknowledge the support of a sizeable team in who copy-edited the report, and Giovanna Astolfo, carrying out, transcribing, translating and writing up who provided design and layout services. Naturally, this research. Firstly, thanks go to our Somaliland- we also thank the ESRC and DFID for funding the based research team, Amina-Milgo Mohamoud research, and DPU, UCL and Progressio staff for Warsame, Suad Ibrahim Abdi, Kinzi Hussein Kowden, supporting our efforts. We are grateful to Jama Haroon Ahmed Yusuf and Omer Eid Qalonbi, who Musse Jama, who hosted us and workshop carried out the interviews and organised the focus attendees from across Somaliland at the Hargeysa groups and group interviews. Most importantly, they Cultural Centre for dinner and entertainment, as provided valuable input into the conceptualisation of part of the run-up to the 2018 Somali Studies the research, the research process and its content, International Association conference, to be held in as well as ongoing feedback on findings. We also Hargeysa. Finally and most of all, we are indebted to thank Hussein Mohamoud, Ugbad Hassan, Yassin the large number of people who gave their time to Yussuf and Abdalla Sa’ad Mousa, who transcribed participate in interviews or group discussions, and the interviews, and Mohamed Ali Ahmed, Aidarus to those members of the government, opposition Ibrahim Muse and Ahmed Ali Amir, who translated parties, civil society, universities and private the interviews into English. individuals who attended our workshops at the start and end of the project, helping us to refine questions We also appreciate the support of Anna Rader, and discuss findings. 4 Political Settlement in Somaliland: A gendered perspective Contents Acknowledgements 3 Table of Contents 4 List of Acronyms and Abbreviations 6 List of Figures and Tables 6 Glossary of Somali Terms 7 Executive Summary 8 Introduction 11 Orthography and vocabulary 12 Literature Review 13 Gender, political settlements and development 13 What works to promote gender-inclusive development and women's political participation? 15 Gender inclusion: instrumental and normative importance 16 Gender identities and gender roles 18 Background: Gender, clan and politics in Somaliland 21 Lineage and clan 21 Dominant clans 22 Minority groups 22 Caaqils, xeer, mediation and the roles of men 23 The role of religion: Islam in Somaliland 24 Gender roles: marriage, influence and patriarchy 25 Political parties, gender and clan 26 Methodology 27 Research approach 27 Research methods 27 Ethical considerations 30 Analysis 31 Objective 1: gender identities 31 Research question 1.1: gendered definitions of masculinity and femininity 31 Research question 1.2: translation of perceptions into practice 33 5 Political Settlement in Somaliland: A gendered perspective Research question 1.3: how identities have changed since the end of conflict 34 Research question 1.4: invited, claimed and created spaces 34 Research question 1.5: identities and connections with violence 38 Research question 1.6: linkages between inequality and stability 41 Objective 2: structural and institutional barriers 45 Research question 2.1: policies and programmes 45 Research question 2.2: positive and negative consequences 52 Research question 2.3: main institutional arrangements affecting women and girls 57 Research question 2.4: strengthening interventions 63 Power structures: stakeholders and relationships 65 Recommendations 69 Recommendations to donors and civil society 70 1. Support multi-sectoral programmes, integrate and prioritise gender equality concerns in all interventions 70 2. Ensure holistic gender programming that addresses positive masculinities 70 3. Be culturally sensitive: use locally appropriate language and reduce public donor branding 70 4. Ground programmes and messaging in pro-women’s rights Islamic values and ethics 71 5. Promote changes in social norms 71 6. Choose the right people: work with WROs and provide long-term funding to promote and integrate gender equality at all levels 72 7. Provide support for women’s economic activity 72 8. Engage men and identify male allies who support the women’s rights agenda 72 Recommendations for the Somaliland government 72 1. Securing women’s political participation 72 2. Enhancing justice and reducing violence against women and girls 73 Conclusion 74 Appendix 77 List of interviews References 85 6 Political Settlement in Somaliland: A gendered perspective List of Acronyms and Abbreviations CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women CSO Civil society organisation DFID UK Department for International Development FGM Female genital mutilation INGO International non-governmental organisation MoLSA Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs MoNPD Ministry of National Planning and Development NDP National Development Plan NGO Non-governmental organisation SDG Sustainable Development Goal SGBV Sexual and gender-based violence SONSAF Somaliland Non State Actors’ Forum SONYO Somaliland National Youth Organisation UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNFPA United Nations Population Fund Unicef United Nations Children’s Fund UNSCR United Nations Security Council Resolution VAWG Violence against women and girls WPP Women’s political participation WRO Women’s rights organisation List of Figures and Tables Photo 1: Discussing the gendered political settlement. 13 Photo 2: Research team and stakeholders. 28 Photo 3: Workshopping ideas. 36 Photo 4: ‘To educate a girl is to educate a nation’ billboard. 51 Photo 5: The centrality of religious leaders; distance of presidential power. 64 Photo 6: Fathers, gangs and tangled connections with official agencies. 65 Photo 7: Debating possibilities. 71 Figure 1: Example of genealogical chart of Somaliland clans. 22 Table 1: Stakeholders related to VAWG in Somaliland. 66 Box 1: The slow process of change. 68 7 Political Settlement in Somaliland: A gendered perspective Glossary of Somali Terms aftahannimo eloquence aqal family dwelling bilis noble boqor clan leader caaqil chief of mag group deeqsinimo generosity diya blood compensation (Arabic) garaad clan leader geesinimo courage godob-reebta gabadhaha ‘the leaving behind of a grudge through women’ guurti ad hoc group of mediators; Somaliland’s Upper House of Parliament jinsiga gender lamanaha couple; used here to refer to ‘non-biological’ gender Ijtihad independent reasoning, judgement mafresh place to chew qaad mag blood compensation nag woman, female nagaanimo femininity, femaleness nageeyti womanish (colloquial) nin man, male qaad leafy narcotic drug Quraysh the family of the Prophet raganimo masculinity, maleness ribo financial interest Sharia Islamic canonical law suldaan clan leader tariiqa brotherhood, Sufi school ugaas clan leader wadaad learned in Islam waranle ‘one who owns a spear’ xeer customary contract, ‘law’ xeerka birimageydada principles that govern the conduct of war xidid related by marriage 8 Political Settlement in Somaliland: A gendered perspective Executive Summary Research suggests that inclusive political settlements The data that is available for Somaliland shows similar tend to be more stable. For Somaliland in the
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