Women's Rights
Violence and discrimination against women, including genital mutilation, is common. The rape of women by militia and bandits is a problem, and there are no laws against spousal rape.
Political activism for women's rights, led by Asha Haji Elmi's "Sixth Clan" women's movement, led to representation in the Transitional Federal Parliament (TFP). However, the Transitional Federal Charter requires 12% of the Parliament seats (33 seats) be reserved for women. However, in the November 2004 selections of MPs, only 8% were filled by women.
Read more about this topic: Human Rights In Somalia
Famous quotes containing the words women and/or rights:
“It is not so much that women have a different point of view in politics as that they give a different emphasis. And this is vastly important, for politics is so largely a matter of emphasis.”
—Crystal Eastman (1881–1928)
“The aim of every political association is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man. These rights are liberty, property, security and resistance to oppression.”
—French National Assembly. Declaration of the Rights of Man (drafted and discussed August 1789, published September 1791)