The role of women in the peace process in Somalia : progress and setbacks

Abstract

The role of women in cotemporary world society is undeniably one of the most relevant issues that recurrently appeared in the agendas of regional and international for a during recent decades. The world community has finally recognized the feet that no nation can hope to attain balanced development including internal stability without properly accommodating and addressing the legitimate interests and concerns of women who constitute nearly half of mankind today. In recognition of this hard fact numerous conferences were held at the regional and international levels and governments were/ persuaded to commit themselves to implement the resolutions and declarations emanating from those gatherings. In this regard, much progress has been made at the world scene in formulating the necessary legal instruments and policy decisions as well as the strategies for their implementation. In particular, the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979) constitutes an important watershed in the international effort to narrow and eventually close the gender gap.