June 30, 2025 (MOGADISHU, Somalia): The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), with support from the GIZ-funded Strengthening Advisory Capacities for Land Governance in Africa (SLGA) project, held the final national dialogue on gender equality, land governance and climate resilience in Mogadishu. This marked the sixth and last country-level meeting following similar engagements in Djibouti, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Kenya and Uganda.
The dialogue was officially opened by Hon. Amina Hussein Ali, Deputy Minister of Labour and Member of the Somalia Parliament, who welcomed the initiative as timely and essential for amplifying the voices of women leaders in shaping Somalia’s development agenda. She stressed the urgency of integrating gender justice into land and climate frameworks and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to working with IGAD and regional partners to strengthen institutional responses that empower women and protect their rights to land and resources.
The two-day dialogue brought together thirty participants, including twenty women parliamentarians representing key parliamentary committees on Natural Resources, Environment, Agriculture, Gender and Budget. They were joined by officials from relevant ministries, IGAD technical staff, and representatives of civil society. The gathering aimed to strengthen participants’ knowledge on the interconnections between gender equality, land tenure security, and climate resilience, and to promote their role in advancing inclusive legislation, oversight and budget processes.
Participants raised several concerns, including that although Somali women play a central role in agricultural livelihoods, they face limited tenure security, poor access to climate finance and technology, and heightened vulnerability to climate-related hazards. There was consensus that despite positive policy commitments at national and regional levels, gaps remain in legislation, institutional capacity, and the inclusion of women in decision-making processes. In particular, the lack of female representation in land and climate governance structures was identified as a barrier to achieving equitable resilience strategies.
The discussions underscored the need for gender-responsive land reforms that recognise and protect customary rights, greater financial commitment to climate adaptation measures that benefit women, stronger parliamentary collaboration to monitor implementation of regional agendas, and multi-stakeholder efforts to tackle discriminatory norms.
In his closing remarks, Prof. Mohamud Mohamed Mohamud, Director General at the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation of the Federal Republic of Somalia, underscored the importance of collective responsibility in building resilient and inclusive systems. He praised the contribution of women legislators in driving national conversations on land and climate, and urged all actors to move from dialogue to implementation, ensuring that policies are translated into concrete, measurable outcomes that improve the lives of Somali communities—especially women and girls.
With Somalia concluding the national leg of this IGAD-led dialogue series, the stage is now set for the Regional Dialogue of Women Parliamentarians scheduled for 9–11 July 2025 in Nairobi. The outcomes from Mogadishu, along with those from Djibouti, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Kenya and Uganda, will feed into a consolidated policy brief and regional roadmap for advancing gender equality, land governance and climate resilience across the IGAD region.
