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:
“The especial genius of women I believe to be electrical in movement, intuitive in function, spiritual in tendency.”
—Margaret Fuller (1810–1850)
“A state that denies its citizens their basic rights becomes a danger to its neighbors as well: internal arbitrary rule will be reflected in arbitrary external relations. The suppression of public opinion, the abolition of public competition for power and its public exercise opens the way for the state power to arm itself in any way it sees fit.... A state that does not hesitate to lie to its own people will not hesitate to lie to other states.”
—Václav Havel (b. 1936)