Project Title: Expanding Civic Space, Empowering Youth and Women to Contribute to the Governance and Development Processes in Somaliland
Overall Objective(s)
To improve the role of the women and youth CSOs in the decision-making and political life in Somaliland.
Specific objective(s)
SO 1: Improved association and joint voicing by the youth and women CSOs
SO 2: Improved transparency of the draft policies and feedback by the civil society.
SO 3: Improved campaigning and participation of the CSOs, Youth, and Women in the elections and democratic processes.
Beneficiaries: Women, Youth, CSOs
Duration: January 2020- December 2022
Project Location: Hargeisa District, Burao District, Borama District, Erigavo District, Berbera District, Las’Anod District.
Donor: European Union
Project Outcomes:
O1.Youth & Women CSOs’ influence policies and Priorities
O2. Youth & women influence decision-making through research.
O3. Improve public awareness & political participation among youth and women
This project is a consortium project known as ‘Dan-Guud Consortium’ which is funded by the European Union. The project is led by SOYDAVO with three other co-applicants namely, YOVENCO, SONSAF, and Media INK. The project is also supporting a number of youth-led organizations such as MASAF. The project effectively kicked off in January 2020 and will end in December 2022.
The consortium is committed to promoting gender equality, inclusive governance, political participation, and human rights in Somaliland. To achieve this, the consortium’s project aims at improving the role of women and youth CSOs in decision-making and political life in Somaliland by increasing women’s and youth’s participation in the election and democratic process in Somaliland.
DANGUUD Consortium has achieved magnitude achievements during the project period, January 2020 – December 2023. The implemented action has strengthened CSOs to participate in the decision-making of Somaliland and ultimately contribute towards good governance and accountability in the country, during the COVID-19 crisis CSOs become the main actors in planning and the responses, same as the combined election process CSOs have participated the election decision and election activities in a very good role. The project has engaged societal voices.
During the project period, the project has engaged many youths and women through community conversation and mobilization activities. The project has also promoted advocacy and civic education through cultural expression and media platforms.
The project has improved association and joint voicing by the youth and women CSOs by creating CSO 4 alliances and associations and 5 joint initiatives by the CSOs in politics and other emergencies like COVID-19.
One research on the environment for participation of CSOs in public policies and decision-making has been conducted and findings have been shared with CSOs through different channels including Somali NGO Consortium which is a consortium for more than 175 NGOs in Somalia.
700 men and 750 women have participated in community conversations on improving youth and women’s political participation in Somaliland. 2 joint declarations of women and youth CSOs at the national conference have been declared on youth and women’s political participation and emergency preparedness.
The project has improved the transparency of the draft policies and feedback by civil society, During the project period 20 youth and women CSOs and groups are publicly advocating on issues and policies affecting women and youth Social and political.
The project has trained media activities 140 media social media projects launched by the activists promoting youth and women’s political participation during combined elections.
28 local Initiatives were implemented by the local communities after the grant projects mostly they participated in city cleaning and beatification, and it created a link between communities and newly elected local authorities.
CSOs’ engagement strategy with the government has been developed and shared with CSOs. 600 males and 400 female youth have participated in sports events in six regions of Somaliland, it was the first time to conduct a public national league for women in Somaliland, Danguud consortium with the Somaliland Sports Federation has broken the belief of women can’t play sports.
We have improved campaigning and participation of the CSOs, Youth, and Women in the elections and democratic processes. 400 infringements were reported by the civil society observers (observer missions) during the last combined Somaliland elections.
15 males and 5 females of youth wings have been nominated to local and parliamentary elections as candidates after a series of training for the national parties’ youth wings’ representatives. 2 women and 10 youth have also been endorsed by the political parties apart from youth wings.
17000 female and 13000 male voters have reached and provided voter civic education and made aware of the electoral processes, these activities have been done through door-to-door mobilization, public events, IEC, and vehicle awareness.
100 male and 20 female women and youth candidates have been trained on how they can engage the voter and prepare their political manifesto. 40 females and 40 males of Political Parties Youth wings have been trained on how they can be part of candidates and improve their understanding of elections.
Danguud consortium has conducted several lopping activities on women’s quota but unfortunately, the quota has been removed by the president.