STORY: AMISOM conducts training workshop for Somali

women legislators
DURATION: 4:40
SOURCE: AMISOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
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CREDIT REQUIRED: AMISOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
LANGUAGE: SOMALI/ ENGLISH/ NATURAL SOUND
DATELINE: 26/FEBRUARY/2018, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

SHOT LIST
1. Wide shot, venue where training workshop for female lawmakers is taking
place in Mogadishu
2. Med shot, Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African
Union Commission (DSRCC) for Somalia, Simon Mulongo, arriving at the
venue and greeting the legislators and other guests
3. Med shot, Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African
Union Commission (DSRCC) for Somalia, Simon Mulongo, taking a seat
4. SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) SIMON MULONGO,DEPUTY SPECIAL
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE AFRICAN UNION
COMMISSION (DSRCC) FOR SOMALIA
“What you have come to do here is fundamental in ensuring that you anchor
issues of governance in our good country of Somalia on the tenets of gender
equality, observance of human rights and observance of child protection.
These tenets that we are talking about on issues of gender, child protection
and ensuring that the government integrates them into their policies and
development plans, will not come on a silver plate. You will have to stand up
and fight for them and ensure that they are integrated.”

5. Wide shot, master of ceremony introducing the next speaker

6. Med shot, women legislators listening during the workshop
7. SOUNDBITE: (SOMALI) ABSHIR MOHAMED AHMED, DEPUTY SPEAKER OF
THE UPPER HOUSE
“When you want to expand the enjoyment of human rights, women are best
placed to do this. The Somali woman can play a very important role. We all
know the critical role the Somali woman played during the civil war. When it
comes to advocating and championing the rights of children, who else is
better suited than the woman.”

8. Wide shot, panning shot of legislators applauding

9. Med shot, legislators listening during the training workshop
10. SOUNDBITE: (SOMALI) MINA MOHAMED, CHAIRPERSON OF THE WOMEN
CAUCUS OF THE LOWER HOUSE
 “We still need support, like this training so that we can achieve our goals.
This will help us discharge our duties. When you empower women politically,
the country develops fast and people live in peace.”

11. Wide shot, legislators applauding after the speech by the Chairperson of the
Women Caucus of the Lower House
12. Med shot, legislators and other invited guests listing during the capacity
building workshop
13. SOUNDBITE: (SOMALI) HON. SHUKRI ADEN MOHAMED, THE CHAIRPERSON
OF THE WOMEN CAUCUS OF THE UPPER HOUSE
“We have different skills. There are some of us who are educated while
others are experienced but we are law makers and we need to know our job
description, what it means, how to execute it and who will help us achieve
our goals. I am grateful to the international community for gathering us here,
and this, signifies that we are not alone in what we believe in as women
parliamentarians. We need to lobby to ensure that the women in the regions
also attain the same rights.”

14. Wide shot, legislators applauding after the speech by the Chairperson of the
Women Caucus of the Upper House
15. Med shot, legislators and other guests leaving the hall after the opening
session of the training workshop for Somali women MPs
16. Group photo, DSRCC and legislators posing for a group photograph

AMISOM conducts training workshop for Somali women legislators

Mogadishu, 27, February 2018 - Somali women parliamentarians are attending a

three-day workshop to discuss their legislative roles in relation to women and child
rights.

The workshop, organized by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) with
the support of the British Embassy in Mogadishu, is being attended by women
parliamentarians from both the Upper and Lower Houses of the Federal Parliament.

Speaking during the opening ceremony, yesterday, the Deputy Special

Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (DSRCC) for
Somalia, Simon Mulongo, lauded the MPs for attending the training noting that the
legislators from both chambers of parliament have a crucial role to play in promoting
human rights, gender equality and child protection.

“What you have come to do here is fundamental in ensuring that you anchor issues
of governance in our good country of Somalia on the issues of gender equality,
observance of human rights and observance of child protection,” Mr. Mulongo
stated.
The DSRCC said understanding of human rights will also ensure that young people
are protected from exploitation and raised in a manner that will guarantee a
peaceful and stable Somalia that respects equality.

Mr. Mulongo urged the MPs not be complacent but instead join hands in the fight
for the protection of the rights of the vulnerable.

“These tenets that we are talking about on issues of gender, child protection and
ensuring that the government integrates them into their policies and development
plans, will not come on a silver plate. You will have to stand up and fight for them
and ensure that they are integrated,” the DSRCC noted.

The workshop is taking place a year after the conclusion of the electoral process that
increased the number of women federal MPs from 14 percent in the 2012-2016
parliament to 24 per cent in the current parliament.

The Deputy Speaker of the Upper House, Abshir Mohamed Ahmed, hailed AMISOM
for organizing the workshop, noting that women can play an important role in the
advancement and observance of human rights.

“When you want to expand the enjoyment of human rights, women are best placed
to do this. The Somali woman can play a very important role. We all know the critical
role the Somali woman played during the civil war,” Mr. Ahmed explained.

His remarks were echoed by the Chairperson of the Women Caucus of the Lower
House, Dr. Mina Mohamed, who noted that though a lot has been achieved with
regard to the political representation of women in Somalia, a lot still remains to be
done.

“We still need support, like this training so that we can achieve our goals. This will
help us discharge our duties. When you empower women politically, the country
develops fast and people live in peace,” Ms. Mohamed explained.

For her part, the Chairperson of the Women Caucus of the Upper House, Shukri
Aden Mohamed, urged the women MPs to harness their skills and expertise to
achieve greater representation of women in politics and enhance their role in
decision making.

“We have different skills. There are some of us who are educated while others are
experienced but we are law makers and we need to know our job description, what
it means, how to execute it and who will help us achieve our goals,” Ms. Mohamed
stated.
Ms. Shipra Bose, a Senior Gender Advisor with the United Nations Assistance Mission
in Somalia (UNSOM), urged the women MPs to fully grasp the parliamentary rules to
enable them better advocate for the rights of women and children.