The Somali Bureau of women and Children affairs secretariat was established by the year of 1995 G.C with the overall vision to see modern and civilized society in which women and children enjoy their rights and wellbeing without compromising their life choices and hence, participation and benefit of women in all social, economic and political domains enhanced. The mission of the bureau is to protect the rights and wellbeing of women and children, ensure active and all-round participation and benefit of women in all social, economic and political domains and implement and follow up the implementation of policies, packages, programs/projects and strategies pertinent to women and children.

1The Somali regional state as partner of this initiative has played its role in gender equality in general and women emancipation and empowerment in particular despite generation rooted cultural challenges. In addition to this, women in the region are experiencing multifaceted political and socio-economic challenges. Recognizing this, the government has been undertaking significant efforts to address these concerns with some encouraging developments and results in sectors such as education and health. More recently, the GTP II and the sector development plan for women an d children included the following issues among their policy priorities: women’s economic empowerment; participation of women in political and decision-making processes; improvement of women’s health status; protection of women and girls from discriminatory attitudes; harmful traditional practices and violence; and improvement of quality of life for women and girls through their active engagement and participation in environmental protection and management. Somali region bureau of women and children affairs is actively working on advocacy and capacity building on women and children rights with all actors and stakeholders like Justice sector, police and religious leaders and key influential community leader..

Bureau of women and children affairs operates/works the all Somali Regional State woredas and city administrations. Regarding to the decentralized system of the region, it was established and functionalized woreda level offices of women, children and youth affairs which are under the mandate of the bureau and these offices are operating in the same issues. Accordingly, the bureau implements different programs and projects to respond regional women, children and youth needs. The thematic areas of the bureau are the followings: -

Ensure gender equality and women empowerment.
Child protection, care, participation and development

Awareness creation and mobilization
Organize and capacitate women and children machineries
Insure the implementation, coordination, follow up and support the main streaming of gender and child issues at all levels program projects.
Follow the implementation of affirmative action and women decision-making role.
Enhance women decision making role at family and different level.
Increase women benefit by establishing women development fund.
Coordinate and follow stakeholders working on women and children

Ensure equal participation of women in development, good governance and democratic building and ensure children rights, wellbeing and gender equality

Creating Enabling environment.
Capacity building.
Advocacy.
Providing entrepreneurship skills.
Social mobilization and developing mechanism to enhance protection of the women and children

To see a society in which women participation and benefit enhanced in social, economic, political and cultural domains and children right and gender equality

We are here for nothing but to serve and satisfy our community.
We treat them as we would like to be treated.
We have three priorities: Community, Community, and Community