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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Goals of Paper........................................................................................................................................................ 1
1. Human Capital................................................................................................................................................... 5
2. Economic Opportunities................................................................................................................................15
3. Voice and Agency............................................................................................................................................19
4. Climate Change...............................................................................................................................................27
5. Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................................31
The paper highlights work already
being done in the current Somalia
portfolio and identifies opportunities to
deepen a focus on gender gaps in future
programming and policy discussions,
while remaining cognizant of the
country’s humanitarian situation.
Breaking Barriers, Creating Opportunities
GOALS OF PAPER
T his options paper1 aims to highlight select evidence-based and innovative options for potential
programming that could unlock women’s and girls’ empowerment through the World Bank’s portfolio
in Somalia.2 It is the operational companion to the Gender Policy Note3 which identifies key challenges
that women and girls face in Somalia. The paper highlights work already being done in the current
Somalia portfolio and identifies opportunities to deepen a focus on gender gaps in future programming
and policy discussions, while remaining cognizant of the country’s humanitarian situation. In some areas,
the paper suggests new fields that the Bank could expand into to address women’s empowerment.
INTRODUCTION Food security remains a pressing challenge. An
Since 1990, Somalia has experienced more than estimated 6.6 million people in Somalia likely
30 climate-related hazards, including 12 droughts experienced high levels of acute food insecurity
and 19 floods. These natural disasters took place in the second quarter of 2023, while 1.8 million
alongside conflict and widespread insecurity, children under the age of five years are likely
disease outbreaks, and poverty. Indeed, an to have acute malnutrition throughout 2023.5
estimated 8.25 million people will need immediate Humanitarian food and non-food assistance
life-saving humanitarian and protection assistance consisting of livelihood support, nutrition, WASH,
in Somalia.4This is nearly half of the country’s and health-related interventions were estimated
population, affected by recurrent climate shocks, to reach 4.4 million people per month in early
conflict and insecurity, displacement, and poverty. 2023. Scaled-up and sustained humanitarian
While agriculture accounts for up to 90 percent of assistance has likely prevented the worsening of
Somalia’s exports, natural disasters from droughts food security and nutrition outcomes in many
to flooding and locust infestations have upended areas. However, humanitarian food assistance
the sector. In response to loss of livelihoods, an delivery continued to fall short of requirements.
exodus of people fled to urban centers, causing Additional humanitarian assistance vaccinated 2.3
displacement and rapid urbanization. million children against measles and administered
Vitamin A and deworming tablets to two million
children in late 2022, while nearly 1 million children
1
This options paper was co-authored by Helena Hwang
(Consultant, SAES2), Cansu Birce Gokalp (Analyst, AFEGI), were vaccinated against cholera in January 2023.6
Verena Phipps (Senior Social Development Specialist, SAES2),
and Tanya D’Lima (Social Development Specialist, SAES2)
under the guidance of Helene Carlsson Rex (Practice Manager,
SAES2) and Kristina Svensson (Country Manager, AEMSO) for
the Somalia Women’s Empowerment Platform. The paper
has benefited from advice supplied by peer reviewers Patricia
Fernandes (Lead Social Development Specialist, SSAS1), Sonya
Sultan (Lead Social Development Specialist, SSIDR), and Pedro
Cerdan-Infantes (Senior Economist, HAEE2).
5
Somalia: Acute Food Insecurity Situation March 2023 and
Projection for April - June 2023, accessed at: https://www.
The World Bank Group Country Partnership Framework (CPF)
2
ipcinfo.org/ipc-country-analysis/details-map/en/c/1156310/.
for FY24-28 highlights a focus on inclusion by empowering girls Report available at: https://reliefweb.int/report/somalia/
and women and minority groups. Operations of the CPF will somalia-ipc-food-security-nutrition-snapshot-march-june-
target, among other results, enrollment of girls in primary school; 2023-published-april-25-2023#:~:text=Despite%20some%20
second chance education for girls; cash transfers for females; improvements%20in%20the,or%20above%20through%20
access to finance for women-owned firms; adoption of improved June%202023.
agricultural technologies among female farmers; and access of
women to improved water sources.
6
Somalia: Acute Food Insecurity Situation March 2023 and
Projection for April - June 2023, accessed at: https://www.
The recommendations in this sections follow the options identified
3
ipcinfo.org/ipc-country-analysis/details-map/en/c/1156310/.
in the Gender Policy Note (p86) in the Collection of Policy Notes Report available at: https://reliefweb.int/report/somalia/
for the New Somali Government: Unlocking Somalia’s Potential to somalia-ipc-food-security-nutrition-snapshot-march-june-
Stabilize, Grow and Prosper. 2023-published-april-25-2023#:~:text=Despite%20some%20
4
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs improvements%20in%20the,or%20above%20through%20
(OCHA) Somalia web site: https://www.unocha.org/somalia June%202023.
1
Accelerating Gender Equality in Somalia
In the backdrop of these critical humanitarian disasters, displacement, and conflict. For example,
challenges facing Somalia today and informed by disasters such as Somalia’s severe drought in
the World Bank Group Gender Strategy, our paper 2022 can impact women and girls by decreasing
is divided into four areas: i) Human Capital, ii) educational and work opportunities, increasing
Economic Opportunities, iii) Voice and Agency and household tensions that result in violence, and
iv) Climate Change. These pillars are interrelated increasing risk of losing their access to land and
and reinforce one another, and they are also natural resources.
impacted by external shocks such as natural
2
Breaking Barriers, Creating Opportunities
SUMMARY
3
Accelerating Gender Equality in Somalia
4
Breaking Barriers, Creating Opportunities
1. HUMAN CAPITAL
In Somalia, gender gaps are pronounced across and young women are particularly vulnerable
all facets of the Human Capital agenda; this Paper during crises, such as conflicts, natural disasters,
prioritizes interventions targeting adolescent girls and displacement. Addressing these challenges
around education and health because of the noted and empowering adolescent girls in Somalia is
effectiveness of addressing interventions to this essential for the country's development and for
age group and the high vulnerability of adolescent creating a more equitable and just society.
girls in Somalia.
In Somalia, there are numerous challenges to girls’
THE ISSUES: education, both on the demand and supply side,
Adolescent girls in Somalia face significant such as cultural barriers, transportation difficulties
challenges that impede their growth and for girls, and schools’ lack of adequate funding
development at a critical life juncture. These among others. Another significant impediment is
challenges manifest in various forms, including the shortage of female teachers. Over 90 percent
high rates of early marriage, adolescent fertility of primary school teachers in Somalia are male,
and female genital mutilation (FGM), resulting in which creates a barrier to uptake of education
poor health outcomes, limited access to formal services by girls. Recognizing these underlying
education, and restrictive social norms, among barriers, schooling for girls in Somalia, especially
others. Prevailing social norms underpin more in rural and remote areas, should focus on bringing
restrictive roles for adolescent girls in Somalia schools closer to home; making schools safe and
rooted in a strongly patriarchal society with clearly welcoming places for girls; ensuring that costs are
defined gender roles. Women are primarily expected not a barrier; and improving the quality of teaching
to be homemakers, responsible for childbearing, and learning outcomes while also ensuring a
raising children, food production, and all domestic higher ratio of female teachers.7 In addition,
tasks. The intersection of these barriers limits the shifting gendered social norms which deprioritize
opportunities and potential of adolescent girls, and undervalue girls’ education is needed.
perpetuating gender inequality and the cycle of
poverty in the country. Moreover, adolescent girls 7
As identified in the “Somalia Education for Human Capital
Development Project” (P172434).
5
Accelerating Gender Equality in Somalia
Somalia has large gender gaps in school attendance not complete their studies. Among women ages
which widen with the transition from primary to 25–44 years old, about 7 percent have attended
secondary school. Gender parity indexes for net higher education, compared to 16 percent of men.11
attendance in primary and secondary education
are 88 percent and 74 percent respectively.8 And In Somalia, reproductive health outcomes for
boys can expect to have 30 percent more time in women and girls are poor, with high adolescent
school than girls based on the calculated school fertility and maternal mortality rates. Early
life expectancy.9 Given these significant gender marriage and adolescent fertility are significant
gaps, it is critical to increase girls’ access to and issues in Somalia and contribute to high maternal
completion of quality education. Apart from mortality outcomes. 119 of every 1,000 girls ages
promoting a fair and inclusive society, closing 15-19 gave birth in Somalia in 202012. At 6.9 births
gender gaps in education has significant economic per woman, Somalia’s fertility rate is among the
impacts across countries. For example, in Niger, highest in the world. The estimated maternal
research shows that the closing gender gaps in mortality rate is 692 deaths per 100,000 live
years of schooling in each income percentile would births13. Though this constitutes an improvement
boost long-term GDP by 11 percent. from earlier reports, it is still significantly higher
than the regional average of 542 deaths per 100,000
Girls in Somalia lack market-relevant skills which live births in Sub-Saharan Africa. The presence
hinder their transition to the labor market and of both high fertility rates and significantly poor
have low enrollment in tertiary education. In reproductive health outcomes restricts women's
Somalia, an estimated 44 percent of youth (ages potential to contribute to economic growth and
15–24 years) are not in education, employment, or poverty reduction. Additionally, it hinders Somalia
training (NEET).10 The NEET rate is particularly high from harnessing a demographic dividend.
for young women: 50 percent of all females ages
15–24 years were neither at work nor in school/ HOW THE WORLD BANK
training, compared to 39 percent for males. Young PORTFOLIO IN SOMALIA
women have low literacy, numeracy, and job- CURRENTLY ADDRESSES
relevant skills. The available information indicates GENDER GAPS IN HUMAN
that women account for approximately 40 percent CAPITAL FOR YOUNG GIRLS
of the enrollment of first year students in higher The existing operational portfolio in Somalia
education, but most of the women who enroll do incorporates key interventions to increase girls’
access to and completion of quality education
8
“World Bank. 2021. Somalia Country Economic Memorandum: including small investments and collaborations on
Towards an Inclusive Jobs Agenda. ©World Bank, Washington, business innovations and mentorships. A total of 3
DC. The memorandum notes the following “The gender parity
index for the net attendance ratio is calculated as the ratio million children aged 5-14 years are out of school
of females to males at the primary and secondary levels, and significant number of girls are dropping out.
respectively (Federal Government of Somalia 2020).”
9
UNESCO IIEP Dakar. Save the Children International. “Education To attempt to address this in Bank-supported
sector analysis: Federal Government of Somalia: assessing investments, the Somalia Education for Human
opportunities for rebuilding the country through education” The
note also touches on the intersectional factors which determine Capital Development Project aims to increase
adolescents’ access to schooling: The gap becomes bigger when
comparing children from rural and urban locations. And the
schooling gap is largest between children from the richest and
11
Somalia Empowering Women through Education and Skills
the poorest families. Project - “Rajo Kaaba” (P176898) Project Appraisal Document
10
According to Somalia Labor Force Survey as cited in Somalia
12
World Bank Gender Data Portal.
Empowering Women through Education and Skills Project - 13
Federal Government of Somalia and UNFPA. “The Somalia
“Rajo Kaaba” (P176898) Project Appraisal Document. Health and Demographic Survey 2020.” (2020).
6
Breaking Barriers, Creating Opportunities
access to primary education in underserved areas, will expand opportunities for women through the
with a strong focus on girls, and improve quality of establishment of Women’s Development Centers
instruction. The Project aims to enroll an estimated and take the first steps in creating a consortium
100,000 additional children in primary school in 14 of autonomous women’s colleges to support a
targeted districts, including in Somaliland, at least systemwide expansion of women’s higher-level
50 percent being girls, through incentivizing the skills and leadership development. Beneficiaries
owners/operators of nonstate schools in districts will include women with some level of post-
where they are active, or by establishing new secondary education and girls and women needing
schools where there are no education providers. additional preparation to be ready for higher
education. Building on the improvement of basic
Enabling basic education with a focus on girls: skills of girls, another important consideration is
The project prioritizes in part enrollment of girls improving STEM education and encouraging girls’
through promotion of recruitment of female participation in STEM fields.
teachers, ensuring provision of adequate WASH
facilities and safe learning environments, reducing Business innovation and mentorship in STEM:
distance to schools for girls by enabling them to Additionally, the Hano Social Innovation Hub
enroll in the school closest to them, or placing (HSIH) at the Hano Academy has been granted
schools closer to currently unserved communities. funds from the World Bank's Somali Business
It also provides additional incentives to nonstate Catalytic Fund, which was part of the Somali Core
providers for enrolling girls and ensuring part Economic Institutions and Opportunities Program.
of the grants provided to schools are used for HSIH, the first business incubator and innovation
facilitating girls’ retention such as provision of hub in Somalia, hosts “STEM Sisters”, an initiative
sanitary napkins. These activities are coupled with that trains, coaches, and mentors girls, raises
awareness raising for communities to encourage awareness of STEM, and inspires women and girls.
more girls to enroll in schools and complete It also connects them to other women in the STEM
schooling. In addition, the Additional Financing for field, locally and in nearby countries, whom they
Somalia Recurrent Cost & Reform Financing Project could emulate and know that by working hard and
− Phase 3 incorporates activities to understand the getting educated, they could travel abroad, get a
key barriers to recruitment and retention of female master's degree, even a PhD, and return to work
teachers and develop an action plan for raising the in Somalia. The trainings are also designed to help
ratio of female teachers. them get employment.
A focus on basic skills for women: Another Women and girls’ wellbeing is also tackled through
project, the Somalia Empowering Women through safety nets interventions: The Shock Responsive
Education and Skills Project−"Rajo Kaaba" Safety Net for Human Capital Project, which helped
(P176898), further aims to improve literacy and to establish Somalia’s first safety net program –
numeracy skills of women in selected areas and to Baxnaano – and its additional financings intend
prepare women for leadership roles. The objective to address chronic poverty and vulnerability with
of its first component is to support adolescent adaptive features that also allow responding to
girls and women to acquire basic literacy and various shocks, which disproportionately impact
numeracy skills, cross-cutting socioemotional and women and girls. The program prioritizes female
life skills, and market-relevant vocational skills to beneficiaries as the direct recipient of the cash
improve their livelihoods. The second component transfers, thereby improving their access to
7
Accelerating Gender Equality in Somalia
predictable income to achieve improved health, The scholarship covered housing and feeding costs
nutrition and education of mothers and children. so that girls could find a host family living closer to
And, the Somalia Inclusive Growth DPO Series their school. An impact evaluation of the program
(P174889 and P179307) support various legal showed that beneficiaries had better educational
reforms to improve targeting under Baxnaano outcomes and other positive changes. 53 percent
such as digital ID reforms and the creation of a were less likely to have dropped out of school at
unified social registry. These reforms have the the end of the intervention, and their test scores in
potential to directly impact women by increasing mathematics increased along with other positive
the predictability of their income and thereby outcomes. A new evidence brief further summarizes
reducing risks of maladaptive coping behaviors key impact evaluations that show especially large
during shocks. impacts of conditional cash transfers (CCC) on
girls’ school attendance. One is a CCT program
Improving health outcomes: Improving women’s from the Zomba District of Malawi which increased
health and the availability of birth spacing services, girls’ regular attendance by 8 percentage points.
and addressing gender disparities are integrated In Burkina Faso, both CCC and unconditional
in the Improving Healthcare Services in Somalia cash transfer arms of an intervention increased
Project (“Damal Caafimaad”)’s Component 1. enrollment for boys, by about 11 percentage
The project finances the delivery of high-impact points; however, for girls, only the CCT arm had a
and integrated health and nutrition services to statistically significant impact, about 9 percentage
enhance service coverage and quality, including points.
maternal and neonatal health services, such as
testing and interventions during ANC visits; basic Gender Sensitive School Case-Management
and comprehensive emergency obstetric and systems to identify girls at risk of dropping out
newborn care; and family planning. For the latter, and enhance student wellbeing and safety: The
the project capacitates the contracted NGOs to Girls' Education and Women's Empowerment and
ensure increased contraceptive supplies and Livelihood Project (GEWEL) through Component
availability at facilities and ensures that NGOs also 2: Keeping Girls in School (KGS), aims to improve
address building community awareness of birth attendance and secondary school completion rates
spacing/family planning use and create conditions of girls on the KGS program through the design and
which facilitate women’s use of modern family implementation of an innovative case management
planning methods. system (CMS). KGS offers financial and educational
support services to vulnerable adolescent girls
LESSONS AND EVIDENCE FROM OTHER from Social Cash Transfer households to help them
CONTEXTS THAT COULD BE TRIED IN
enroll in and complete secondary school. The CMS
SOMALIA
uses a two-tiered prevention (i.e. early warning
1) Keeping Girls in School system) and response (i.e. case management)
Linking conditional cash transfers, scholarships, or approach to identify and support KGS girls from
cash vouchers to families to incentivize girls’ school three priority target groups: i) KGS girls in school
completion rates: The Sahel Women Empowerment and at risk of dropping out, ii) KGS girls who have
and Demographic Dividend (SWEDD) in Niger already dropped out and need extra support to
Project provided a scholarship of US$306 per year return to school, and iii) out-of-school girls who
to adolescent girls living in rural villages with no are eligible for KGS but who may need additional
secondary schools and from vulnerable families. support to enroll in school or alternative modes
8
Breaking Barriers, Creating Opportunities
of education. The CMS strengthens the capacity of Partnership for Education Project (NIPEP) aimed to
school Guidance & Counselling (G&C) teachers to improve access to and quality of basic education
identify and respond to the social, psychological, in selected states with the largest proportions of
material, and cultural vulnerabilities that girls face out-of-school children in the country, especially
within the school, home, and community. focusing on girls’ participation. The grant was
channeled directly to school bank accounts—
Within the case management cycle, G&C teachers jointly managed by the headteacher and
undertake a thorough evaluation of girls who have community representatives through the school
been identified as being at risk of dropping out management committees—for the procurement of
or who are currently out of school. The purpose materials in support of improved student retention
of this evaluation is to determine the specific and learning aimed to directly benefit children,
types of support needed to either keep them particularly girls. The NIPEP also aimed to increase
in school or facilitate their re-admission. Once girls’ access to primary education through the
the assessment is complete, the G&C teachers provision of scholarships to low-income families in
communicate the findings to relevant stakeholders poor communities. Stipends were paid to parents
within the school and the wider community to or caregivers to encourage the enrollment of girls
devise a comprehensive care plan with time bound in lower primary school to make up for potential
actions. Following the implementation of the care lost income from the girls while they are in class.
plan, the girls are connected with appropriate Community mobilization campaigns have been
support services, which may include referrals to implemented to raise awareness on the importance
service providers outside of the school (such as of girls' education.
for sexual and reproductive health services or to
social welfare for material assistance,) and school- 2) Making Schools Safe and Conducive for
based services (such as remedial tutoring and Learning
psychosocial counseling). An impact evaluation of School-wide Interventions prioritizing safety:
the CMS is in process and expected to be completed The Good School Toolkit program in Uganda is a
in 2025. school-wide intervention led by teachers, students,
and school-affiliated community members. These
Free education in areas with lowest education stakeholders work to influence the operational
attainment for girls: In Benin, where the girls’ culture of the entire school through four entry
enrollment drops sharply from 62% in lower points: teacher-student relationships, peer-to-
secondary to just 18% in upper secondary (grades peer relationships, student- and teacher-to-school
10-12), girls’ enrollment in upper secondary school relationships, and parent- and community-to-
has been made free in areas (20 communes) with school governance relationships. An impact
the lowest education attainments for girls, with evaluation of the program showed that the toolkit
plans to extend free enrollment for girls throughout led to significant decreases in several forms of
the country, after the First and Second Unlocking violence against girls, boys, and children with
Human and Productive Potential Development disabilities, perpetrated by both teachers and
Policy Financing series. peers over the two-year implementation. Similarly,
the GEWEL project, through its Empowerment Pilot
Direct grants to schools to support student under the Keeping Girls in School component,
retention and learning and provision of addresses school-based gender-based violence
scholarships to low income families: The Nigeria (SRGBV) through a comprehensive school and
9
Accelerating Gender Equality in Somalia
community-based response to preventing and local context. These physical spaces are locations
responding to SRGBV. The pilot aims to raise that the girls perceive as safe and where they
awareness, provide sensitization and foster can speak privately. Special modalities could be
behavioral changes through three activities: 1) adopted in the Somali context to address the needs
implementation of school-based safe space clubs and constraints of rural girls and IDPs’ settings,
for boys and girls where they learn about a range where there is a higher risk of dropping out.
of topics related to gender justice and violence
prevention; 2) training and support for teachers There are approaches which aim to address SRGBV
in order to increase teachers’ knowledge and through safe spaces for girls. Implemented in
shift attitudes and behaviors so that they can Ghana, Kenya, and Mozambique, ActionAid’s “Stop
help prevent SRGBV and respond to students Violence Against Girls in School” included guided
who have experienced violence; and 3) engaging discussions, games, debates and drama, visits
with and sensitizing Parent Teacher Committees to other communities, and outreach activities,
(PTCs) about the empowerment pilot, issues as well as advocating in nearby communities for
related to SRGBV, and the role that PTCs can play girls’ rights to education. The study found that
in supporting the reduction of SRGBV in their girls who were members of the clubs had more
school community. The PTCs would then sensitize knowledge about laws, support organizations,
community members on issues of SRGBV. An and reporting mechanisms and more gender-
impact evaluation of the empowerment pilot is equitable attitudes than girls who were not club
ongoing and will be completed in 2024. members in all three countries. In Kenya, “No
Means No Worldwide” self-defense course targeted
Adolescent development clubs and safe spaces at secondary school girls in informal settlements
for girls: Another evidence-based intervention is in Kenya, was focused on assessing the risks of
to develop safe spaces for girls through school- sexual violence, verbal communication, getting
based programming. An “adolescent development help, and fighting techniques through six two-hour
club” is a meeting place within each community sessions. Compared to girls who only received life
where beneficiaries receive life skills training and skills training, girls from schools that participated
livelihood training courses on income generating in the self-defense course reported fewer incidents
activities. Creating these safe spaces that are of sexual assault. This intervention has been
tailored to an adolescent girl’s environment adapted for and piloted in Somalia through a
and experiences has been shown to be effective UNICEF-funded initiative and presents potential
across a variety of contexts, including in Uganda, for expansion.
Sierra Leone and South Sudan.14 Different projects
within the World Bank have delivered safe spaces Safe spaces also lead to positive sexual and
to both in-school and out-of-school girls with reproductive health outcomes for girls. In Uganda,
implementation modalities, identifying the target the non-governmental organization, BRAC,
group of girls and adapting the curriculum to the implemented a multifaceted program centered
around adolescent clubs. The Empowerment and
14
World Bank. 2020. GIL Top Policy Lessons on Empowering Livelihoods for Adolescent Girls (ELA) program
Adolescent Girls. Gender Innovation Lab;. © World Bank, created community-based, girl-only clubs which
Washington, DC. Note: While the ELA program was found to be
effective in Uganda, South Sudan, and Sierra Leone, the same became hubs for delivery of vocational and life-
positive effects were not replicated in Tanzania: the standard skills trainings for adolescents aged 13 to 20.
community-based girls’ clubs had no impact on employment or
income
10
Breaking Barriers, Creating Opportunities
The intervention is delivered from designated conflict by almost 10 percentage points which was
‘adolescent development clubs’ rather than in largely driven by non-farm self-employment. The
schools and can thus reach school dropouts as beneficial effects of the program on employment
well as girls currently enrolled in school. The were wiped out for girls affected by the conflict.
clubs' life skills training covered topics related to The authors noted that the program was not
sexual and reproductive health, along with topics specifically designed to support livelihoods that
like management and negotiation, leadership, will be resilient to conflict, shedding light on
and legal knowledge on women's issues such as the importance of implementation modalities.
bride price, child marriage, and violence against Another research which studied the impact of the
women. The clubs also provided vocational skills post-2013 conflict in South Sudan on adolescent
training for activities like hairdressing, tailoring, girls and young women unrevealed that girls
computing, and agriculture, among others. The from clusters more affected by the conflict had
program yielded positive impacts on income and statistically different negative outcomes compared
on girls’ decision-making power over childbearing, with girls from less affected clusters, related to
marriage, and sexual activity. Following the income opportunities, aspirations, marriage, and
intervention, girls were 32% more likely to household characteristics. However, adolescent
engage in income generating activities, with self- girls exposed to conflict reported higher
employment being the primary driver of this empowerment and entrepreneurial index scores,
change. Moreover, self-reported routine condom indicating willingness to work and start businesses
usage increased by 50% among the sexually active, in the future, showing need for future programming
and the probability of giving birth decreased by to respond to this target group.
26%. The share of girls who reported experiencing
non-consensual sexual activity dropped from 21% Infrastructure in Water and Sanitation in schools:
to almost zero, demonstrating a 76% decrease. In Somalia, the availability of water, gender
At a cost of US$18 per eligible girl (US$85 per segregated water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH)
participating girl) per year, the program not only facilities, and the availability of sanitary materials
worked but was also cost-effective. for girls have also been shown to minimize the
risk of girls dropping out of school.15 And the
Safe spaces were also implemented in conflict- considerations for WASH interventions have been
affected or crisis settings. World Bank financing integrated into education investments in Somalia.
also supported piloting of the ELA model in This is in line with evidence from other countries
South Sudan, by simultaneously engaging girls such as in Niger, where one program provided
in vocational and life skills training through safe separate latrines for boys and girls and housing
spaces. Six months after the intervention ended for female teachers, leading to an increase of 11.8
and before the endline survey was collected, the percentage points in girls’ enrollment and a 10.6
conflict erupted in South Sudan. The analysis percentage point increase in girls’ attendance.
showed that the intervention had positive impacts Additional considerations may include providing
on a range of labor market and financial outcomes menstrual hygiene management education to
for girls who were not affected by the conflict. girls. For example, Ghana Accra Metropolitan Area
The program increased the probability of being Sanitation and Water Project (GAMA) has also
engaged in income generation for adolescents
in treatment areas that were not exposed to the
15
Source is Somalia Education Cluster Response Strategy Note
2020 as cited in the Project Appraisal Document of the Somalia
Education for Human Capital Development Project (P172434)
11
Accelerating Gender Equality in Somalia
provided education about menstrual hygiene The World Bank’s Benin Youth Employment
management at upper primary and middle Project targeted men and women aged 18-35
schools by integrating it into existing public who are not currently in school and who did not
health programs. The project also ensures that achieve a level of education higher than middle
GAMA-supplied WASH facilities in schools include school. The project delivered business and life
handwashing facilities, separate toilets for boys skills trainings to beneficiaries as well as a cash
and girls, changing rooms for girls, and disposal grant, approximately $400, to support them in
bins for used sanitary pads. starting up a small business and increasing their
earnings and employment outcomes. Half of the
3) Transitioning out-of-school older girls into project beneficiaries were women, and aspects of
skills training and employment: the training were designed to ensure high female
We highlight below approaches which focus on participation. These included accommodating
transition to employment of vulnerable older participants with children by providing stipends,
female and male youth. transportation fees, and mid-day meals to both
the participant and a childcare provider of their
Developing trainings which also target the choice. Training hours were also adapted to
demand side barriers girls face, including financial women’s constraints. These arrangements led
constraints, social norm constraints, as well as to high enrollment in training sessions, over 90
childcare constraints that impede women from percent of participants attending all sessions.
pursuing further education and skills training: In The impact evaluation of the project16 shows
Liberia, the Economic Empowerment of Adolescent that the training had an especially strong impact
Girls and Young Women (EPAG) project offered on business outcomes and earnings. Almost
a year-long employment program, including six three years after delivery, participants who had
months of trainings — which included socio- received only the training had significantly higher
emotional skills, as well as either vocational or profits and earnings than the control group. The
business skills training—and six months of follow- results suggest that a well-designed and well-
up support. Free childcare was provided during the implemented training could be an instrument to
classroom trainings—as well as savings accounts, improve employment outcomes for the youth.
a stipend for transportation, and a completion
bonus. The program was geared toward young Prioritizing girls’ participation in STEM programs:
women, between the ages of 16 to 27, who had been Through a project in Tanzania, the World Bank
out of school for at least a year. Compared to non- supports girls’ participation in STEM subjects by
participants, young women in the program had developing outreach programs to sensitize female
strong positive economic outcomes: employment secondary school students and communities
increased by 47 percent, and earnings increased by especially about STEM programs, providing
80 percent. These strong impacts on employment mentorship programs and scholarships for
and earnings translated into positive impacts in women, and implementing a national gender
other areas of the participants’ lives, such as access equity strategy to attract women to priority degree
to and control over monetary resources, including programs. In addition, research shows high impact
savings, and improvements in measures of worry, of information and communications technology
life satisfaction, self-regulation, self-confidence, (ICT) training for women’s employment in the
and self-perceptions of social abilities.
16
Paper forthcoming.
12
Breaking Barriers, Creating Opportunities
sector. An experiment in Nigeria found that an ICT gender norms: The Choices17 program, which
training resulted in university graduates being 26 was piloted and evaluated in Somalia, involves
percent more likely to work in the ICT sector. This adolescents’ participation in ten 2-hour sessions
suggests the potential for trainings to support the over three months in an after-school program.
employment in emerging sectors despite initial The Choices sessions in each community were
lack of sector relevant skills. The same study shows mostly mixed gender but for some chapters of the
that job training can increase aspirations among training, boys and girls were separated. Similarly,
women who lack the confidence to see themselves parents are invited to attend the Engaging Men and
as successful. Other approaches highlighted in Boys (EMB) training, which is another component
the literature include correcting gender biases like Choices under the parent program, aiming to
in learning materials, mentorship using female promote gender equality by engaging men and
role models, early exposure to STEM based career women in community discussions on various
opportunities, and engaging parents of girls in topics, such as gender norms, fatherhood, violence,
STEM to reshape parental attitudes about girls in and child marriage. The impact evaluation of the
engineering and other fields. program shows that Choices led both boys and
girls to report more egalitarian gender attitude,
The Second Additional Financing for the Rwanda especially in education and women’s role in the
Quality Basic Education for Human Capital economic sphere. Treated adolescents are less
Development Project, which aims to improve likely to succumb to peer pressure to conform
teacher competency, and student retention when stating gender attitudes in a public group
and learning in basic education, acknowledges setting during our experiment, even when faced
ensuring gender equity in digital competence with opposing views. Adolescents’ perceptions of
among teachers as a key step towards uptake of the prevailing gender norms appear to shift leading
STEM skills by both girls and boys. Stating that to a greater expression of egalitarian ideals in
the current distribution of laptops in the sector is public. While the complementary EMB intervention
skewed in favor of secondary school teachers who for parents led to an increase in both mothers' and
are predominantly male in the country, the project fathers' gender egalitarian attitudes, especially
prioritizes female teachers for the distribution of in education, the study finds limited additional
laptops to ease the uptake and completion of the impact on adolescent attitudes or behaviors.
online component of digital literacy trainings.
The Liberia Women Empowerment Project
4) Shifting Social Norms that Impact (P173677) aims to improve social and livelihood
Adolescent Girls services for women and girls in targeted
Engaging the broader community, including men communities, foster positive social norms and
and male youth, to shift social norms that negatively strengthen the government's capacity to advance
impact the prospects of adolescent girls in Somalia: women and girls’ empowerment. It addresses
Below we highlight two examples: one of evidence women’s empowerment using community
in Somalia and one Bank project currently being and national approaches. The project’s whole
implemented in Liberia for potential design of community approach will implement activities
interventions that incorporate a sensitivity to
17
Choices is a component of the Challenging Harmful Attitudes
and Norms for Gender Equality and Empowerment in Somalia
(CHANGES) program under the Social Norms and Participation
(SNaP) project implemented in Somalia by a consortium
of NGOs led by Save the Children in partnership with CARE
International and International Rescue Committee.
13
Accelerating Gender Equality in Somalia
to foster positive social norms and community reported attending a higher number of antenatal
mobilization, including using SASA! methodology, visits with greater male accompaniment. On
complemented by enhancements to basic services making decisions around having children or
in health and education, as well as economic and spacing of children, 35 percent of women and 32
social empowerment interventions for women to percent of men reported that men had the final say
build their economic resources and agency. At the compared to 48 percent of women and 49 percent
national level, project activities will build capacity of men in the control group.
to address gender inequality within the Ministry of
Gender, Children, and Social Protection and the Innovative interventions such as providing sexual
Ministry of Agriculture. and reproductive health (SRH) training through
sports pedagogy: In Tanzania, a program led by
5) Improving Sexual and Reproductive Health BRAC and Grassroot Soccer, offered adolescent
Outcomes: girls a goal setting activity to improve their SRH
Couples and community-based interventions to outcomes and offered boys who were in the girls’
increase the use of reproductive health services social and sexual network (although a significant
by creating opportunities to critically reflect on number of other boys from the communities
gender norms and power relations: For example, participated as well) a soccer intervention, which
the Bandebereho, or “role model,” couples’ educates and inspires young men to make better
project in Rwanda, which engaged men and their SRH choices. Both interventions had a positive
partners in participatory, small group sessions impact on reducing intimate partner violence.
of critical reflection and dialogue with the goal The soccer intervention improved male attitudes
of transforming norms around masculinity and toward intimate partner violence and SRH. Females
fatherhood, led to higher levels of use of modern in the goal setting arm take more control of their
contraceptives by men and women. Women also SRH by exiting violent relationships.
14
Breaking Barriers, Creating Opportunities
2. ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES
Interventions that address leveling the playing THE ISSUES:
field between women and men in economic Entrepreneurial activities owned and run by
opportunities typically includes a range of women have lower revenues than similar
interventions from incentivizing women to businesses owned and managed by men. Gender
enter more traditional male dominated fields, gaps in revenues are caused not by differences in
expanding opportunities for women as employees the innate abilities of men and women but rather
in growth sectors and enabling the growth of by the gender-specific constraints that women
women owned businesses. In this paper, we focus face in starting, sustaining, and growing their
specifically on women’s entrepreneurship as one enterprises. The kinds of activities women engage
of the strongest catalysts to unlock economic in, the size of their businesses and their business
opportunities for women. practices partly explain the gender gap, in addition
to other factors that constrain participation in
Entrepreneurship is a driving force of the Somali activities of higher value added (Somalia Country
economy and women entrepreneurs own more Economic Memorandum).
than half of all household enterprises in the country.
This includes enterprises employing workers Somali women entrepreneurs often face barriers
to accessing finance and capital. Although there is
outside the household. As illustrated in the Somalia
broad access to mobile money, women experience
Country Economic Memorandum (CEM), women
challenges in accessing capital to support women-
entrepreneurs are more likely than their male
led enterprises. Women lack access to finance and
counterparts to hire women and contribute the
capital to start and invest in a business. In addition,
most to paid female employment. Indeed, women’s
as referenced in the recent CEM, Somali women face
ownership of household enterprises contributes additional legal and cultural or customary barriers
to one in four jobs for women. Therefore, helping in inheritance and access to land, which constrain
women grow their enterprises will likely result in their income generating activities opportunities as
more jobs for Somali women overall. However, well as access to finance. For female entrepreneurs,
they face significant challenges in improving their the possibility of guarantees and finance for
business performance, necessitating targeted deposits could be explored as an alternative to
support for women entrepreneurs in Somalia. requesting land as collateral. While a rotational
15
Accelerating Gender Equality in Somalia
savings system known as hagbaad can offer access led household enterprise revenues are 40 percent
to finance, this is small in scale and may not be lower compared to similar businesses owned and
prioritized for female-owned businesses that run by men. The CEM also cites that women are
are perceived as being less profitable and riskier. also often excluded from networks where useful
Increasing women’s access to finance and capital is information on trading practices is shared. This
critical to support women entrepreneurs operating may be in part due to the concentration of women-
their income generating activities. led businesses in local daily markets and often in
suboptimal locations.
Somali female entrepreneurs are crowded into
low paying sectors in constrained local markets. HOW THE WORLD BANK
Research shows that female entrepreneurs build PORTFOLIO IN SOMALIA
larger and more profitable companies when they CURRENTLY ADDRESSES
operate in male-dominated sectors. However, as the WOMEN’S ECONOMIC
analysis shows women are less likely to be engaged in OPPORTUNITY
better-paying segments, for example, of the fisheries The existing portfolio focuses on women’s
value chain. Women are more likely to process fish, engagement in male dominated sectors as well as in
cook and sell it in the local market. Men dominate public service jobs. The Enhancing Public Resource
the catch of seafood, transport, and distribution to Management Project seeks to enhance recruitment
neighboring towns and regions. and retention of women in the civil services
and promote equitable opportunities for career
In Somalia, women entrepreneurs face barriers development through training. In the Somalia
due to norms and perceptions of women’s roles in Urban Resilience Project, there are provisions
households and society that constrain their access for women’s employment on urban teams and
to productive opportunities. The Somalia Poverty quotas for engineers. In addition, the Somalia
and Vulnerability Study identifies expectations Recurrent Cost and Reform Financing Project looks
for women’s domestic and reproductive at women’s engagement in the civil service. Also,
responsibilities as the primary constraints to the Second Water for Agro-Pastoral Productivity
women’s participation in the formal sectors of the and Rural Resilience Project (Barwaaqo), seeks
economy.18 In many instances, women are only to enhance productivity and assets of female
supported to work if the husband is perceived as not farmers with technical training, childcare, support
earning enough for the family. Women are excluded for women's farmer groups, women's recruitment
from more profitable segments of the value chain, and retention in water and agriculture governance
such as catching and exporting fish, trekking institutions, as well as inclusion of women-owned
with animals in search of higher market prices, businesses in public procurement processes.
and currency exchange. Also, while agriculture Future programming can build on the lessons
remains an important livelihood opportunity learned from these approaches to mitigate
for women, they make up most of the vegetable social norms barriers and help women engage in
traders while men dominate the higher echelons better work. Furthermore, the Somalia Capacity
of trading, as related to higher profits with larger Enhancement, Livelihoods and Entrepreneurship,
volumes, currency exchange, and more capital. Through Digital Uplift (SCALED UP) Program
The recent CEM also highlights that their women- established an apex MSME Financing Facility to
provide financing to bank and nonbank financial
institutions, with implementation support from
18
Pape, Utz Johann; Karamba, R. Wendy.
the World Bank. Its design introduces target quotas
Somali Poverty and Vulnerability Assessment : Findings
from Wave 2 of the Somali High Frequency Survey (English). for lending to women through the MSME Financing
Washington, D.C. : World Bank Group. http://documents.
worldbank.org/curated/en/464241565765065128/Findings-
Facility and requires participating banks to
from-Wave-2-of-the-Somali-High-Frequency-Survey
16
Breaking Barriers, Creating Opportunities
demonstrate capability in reaching out to women scale up livelihoods activities, improve women’s
and female-owned MSMEs to target for the lending financial inclusion, and increase women’s
pipeline. Lastly, the Electricity Sector Recovery participation in value chain activities.
Project prepares women engineering graduates for
the energy sector, including internships, mentors, Entrepreneurial Services combined with lines
networking, job placement, skills training, as well of credit: In Ethiopia, the Ethiopia Women
as working with electricity service providers on Entrepreneurship Development Project (WEDP)
women-friendly work environments. is a targeted response to support women
entrepreneurs in Ethiopia. It developed the first
LESSONS AND EVIDENCE FROM women-entrepreneur focused line of credit in
OTHER CONTEXTS THAT COULD Africa in 2013. It provided training workshops,
BE TRIED IN SOMALIA seminars, on-site mentoring and assistance to
Connecting women to finance and enabling develop core competencies for entrepreneurs on
services through a group-based model: There risk management, customer care, internal controls,
are a number of recent Social Sustainability and and cash-flow based appraising of individual
Inclusion’s Women Empowerment projects that loans. Exposure visits and group networking also
illustrate approaches for connecting African increased the depth of learning. To date, around
women entrepreneurs to finance and capital. 24,000 women in Ethiopia have secured a loan
A leading example of this is the Nigeria for from the WEDP network, more than 32,000 have
Women Project, which aims to support improved graduated from a training program. Also, the
livelihoods for women. The project forms Women average income of a WEDP client has grown by 67%
Affinity Groups (WAGs) from groups of women who and the number of employees in a firm by 58%,
are currently active in subsistence-level economic compared to a control group. Though tailored
activities. WAGs are comprised of groups of 15 to 25 more to growth-oriented women entrepreneurs, in
women aged 18 and above that reside in the same Uganda, the Generating Growth Opportunities and
locality and receive business skills and financial Productivity for Women Enterprises Project Project
literacy training, as well as support establishing (GROW) aims to increase access to entrepreneurial
WAG savings and loans activities. By the end of Q1 services and provides a package of services
2024, the project formed over 22,000 WAGs with combining finance with business development
more than 450,000 members. WAGs have saved services and productive infrastructure. The project
more than US$ 4.1 million and WAG members provides investment finance, as well as enhances
have borrowed more than US$ 3.2 million to technical, socio-emotional, and digital skills
support their livelihoods, with loan repayment among women entrepreneurs.
still ongoing. In the same period, the NFWP has
assisted approximately 400,000 rural women Combining livelihoods interventions with GBV
in opening and operating functional savings prevention and response programming: The DRC
accounts as well as obtaining digital identification Gender Based Violence Prevention and Response
(a National Identification Number). In addition, the Project was designed to enable the Government of
project developed a revolving funds approach to the DRC to address development challenges posed
enable a more sustainable model for WAG loans to by the high incidence of GBV in Eastern DRC. The
support women income generating activities. Also, project includes livelihoods activities both as a way
the Liberia Women Empowerment Project funds of addressing potential drivers of GBV, e.g. economic
climate resilient livelihood support to different vulnerability, as well as to support the longer-term
categories of women’s groups and entrepreneurs. recovery of survivors. While initially targeting
The livelihoods packages include social, economic, 3,800 beneficiaries over the life of the project, the
and financial support, and offer business and Project reached more than 30,000 beneficiaries
technical training, life skills and gender training to participating in community-level economic support
17
Accelerating Gender Equality in Somalia
services. As part of its livelihoods activities, the economies, it has proven difficult to achieve
Project supported the development of 1,228 Village substantial improvement in business outcomes
Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) and organized through technical and business training.19
over 100 VSLA exchanges to support social inclusion Personal initiative has proven results, and focuses
of Indigenous Peoples to take part in the economic on changing the way entrepreneurs think about
support services and livelihoods activities. their businesses and aims at building soft skills
such as resilience, goal setting, and overcoming
Addressing women’s weaker access to business barriers. In Togo, a randomized controlled trial of
networks: In Somalia, women entrepreneurs are microenterprise owners found that women who
affected by lack of access to networks that are received personal initiative training increased
dominated by men, particularly where information profits by 40%, compared with 5% for traditional
is shared about trading practices. Supporting business training.
women entrepreneurs to succeed can increase
economic opportunities for additional women, as Learning from emerging Women Empowerment
they are more likely to hire other women than their Programs in the Africa East portfolio specifically
male counterparts. In Somalia, women’s ownership focused on barriers affecting women entrepreneurs:
of household enterprises contributes to one in There are additional opportunities to address
four jobs for other women. World Bank projects access to finance for female entrepreneurs with
have developed approaches that link women to a focus on strengthening connection to services.
networks that provide business guidance, access Additional programming should consider offering
to services and other information that are critical female entrepreneurs small grant funding, as well
to fostering women’s empowerment. as supporting women entrepreneurs through
savings groups. Exploring alternatives to collateral
The Women’s Affinity Groups established under the requirements, such as the use of psychometric
Nigeria for Women Project (mentioned earlier), for and behavior data to assess creditworthiness as a
example, serve as an avenue for socialization and replacement for asset collateral, should be explored
a platform for equipping women with skills such as well. Improved coordination and collaboration
as life skills, collective marketing, negotiation, across lending facilities and development partners
financial management, business skills and other engaged in access to credit and financial services
relevant technical skills. WAGs are intended to is also needed. There are a number of recent
provide further avenues for equipping women Social Sustainability and Inclusion’s Women
with additional knowledge to improve women and Empowerment projects in the Africa region that
their families’ welfare in areas such as livelihoods illustrate approaches for connecting African
support, nutrition, and hygiene. WAGs also women entrepreneurs to finance and capital and
encourage repayment of loans, and development results will continue to emerge over the coming
of peer networks and support systems. Over 32,492 years. Improved coordination and collaboration
women and their dependents have been enrolled across lending facilities and development partners
into the State Social Health Insurance Scheme engaged in access to credit and financial services
across the five states with functional State Health is also needed. In addition, future programming
Insurance Agencies (SHIAs). could perhaps be enhanced by improving women’s
access to mentors and mentorship given that
Personal Initiative Training to support women women in Somalia lack sufficient access to
entrepreneurs: A number of interventions and mentorship opportunities.
research initiatives have also explored psychology-
based training programs, including personal 19
Generating employment in poor and fragile states: Evidence
from labor market and entrepreneurship programs by
initiative training. In fragile and conflict-affected Christopher Blattman and Laura Ralston as cited in the Somalia
Country Economic Memorandum.
18
Breaking Barriers, Creating Opportunities
3. VOICE AND AGENCY
THE ISSUES: were from displaced communities.20 The risk of
Key constraints to women’s and girls’ empowerment GBV is also significant for women and adolescent
in Somalia include barriers to their voice and girls living with disabilities who are particularly
agency, whether through biased norms and laws, disadvantaged, due to difficulty to report and
exposure to gender-based violence or limitations escape violence or to access services. GBV has been
to their ability to participate in decision-making exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing
at local and national levels. Women’s limited roles conflict, and recurring climate-related shocks. In
in public decision-making forums and lower rates the face of these challenges, GBV service provision
of political participation than men in Somalia are remains inadequate compared to the needs of
indicative of social norms constraints they face. women and girls. Additionally, harmful practices
These norms, as well as the clan-based political persist – there is nearly a universal prevalence of
system, limit women’s roles outside the domestic female genital mutilation (FGM) in the country.
sphere and hinder women’s participation in According to the 2020 Somalia Demographic
political and public decision-making forums. and Health Survey, 99 percent of women have
undergone some form of FGM.
Gender-based violence (GBV) is a pervasive issue
faced by women and girls in Somalia. Women, GBV inflicts a profound toll on individuals,
adolescents, girls, and children represented 93 households, and societies, both in terms of its
percent of those who reported incidents of GBV human costs, such as physical and psychological
in 2021. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) are harm, and its economic costs, which encompasses
especially at risk, due to high rate of perceived both direct costs, such as expenses on healthcare
acceptability of the use of violence against women, and judicial services, and indirect costs, such
inadequate and unsafe physical infrastructure, as as the value of lost productivity. GBV results
well as distance to water points, markets, health in reduced productivity and income levels for
facilities and schools, which increase GBV risk survivors and lower rates of accumulation of
exposure. A total of 74 percent of GBV survivors
20
Overview of Gender-Based Violence Situation in Somalia,
Advocacy Brief, 2022, https://reliefweb.int/report/somalia/
overview-gender-based-violence-situation-somalia-advocacy-
brief-2022
19
Accelerating Gender Equality in Somalia
human and social capital. Many studies have also Currently in Somalia, the Improving Healthcare
found an association between intimate partner Services in Somalia Project (“Damal Caafimaad”)
violence against women and negative social offers comprehensive maternal and reproductive
and health consequences for children, including health service packages to women and trains
anxiety, depression, poor school performance female community health workers on GBV service
and negative health outcomes, compounding the provision and referrals to enable access to care
impact of violence and leading to intergenerational to women in communities. The number of GBV
outcomes. A World Bank Group report estimated services delivered is one of the results indicators
the costs of intimate partner violence across of the project, making GBV response essential to
five countries to be between 1.2 to 3.7% of GDP, project’s implementation.
equivalent to what most governments spend on
primary education. There is a strong rationale The Shock Responsive Safety Net for Human Capital
for the public provision of GBV response services Project Additional Financing (P176368) project in
aimed at survivors and prevention programs. Somalia prioritizes women as the direct recipient
Somalia faces significant challenges in GBV of the cash transfers, thereby improving women’s
prevention and providing adequate services for access to predictable income. Cash assistance to
survivors of GBV, which necessitates programming poor and vulnerable households, if combined with
to expand and strengthen access to and utilization other services and an attention to the needs of
of quality, multi-sectoral GBV response services vulnerable women in the household, could enable
and evidence based GBV prevention. women and girls to avoid moving to urban areas
and IDP camps during shocks, which is a common
HOW THE WORLD BANK coping strategy during emergencies, thereby
PORTFOLIO IN SOMALIA minimizing their exposure to GBV. Research shows
CURRENTLY ADDRESSES that there are three direct pathways through which
WOMEN AND GIRLS’ VOICE AND safety nets reduce GBV particularly when combined
AGENCY
with complimentary gender transformative
Efforts to increase women’s voice and agency in interventions or gender dialogue groups (Cash
Somalia has been limited but is evolving driven by Plus interventions): (a) economic security and
the Bank’s commitment to addressing mitigation emotional well-being, (b) intra-household conflict,
of risks on sexual exploitation and abuse through and (c) women's empowerment.21 The research
its investments: The Portfolio has committed which reviews fourteen quantitative and eight
to increasing investments in management of qualitative studies in low- and middle-income
risks of sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual countries notes that most cash transfer programs
harassment and other forms of GBV across the reviewed are linked to some complementary
portfolio, both as a core corporate requirement activities which could decrease intimate partner
and also commitment under the current Country violence by empowering women through increased
Partnership Framework. The Bank has also knowledge, leading to increased self-esteem,
supported investments in dedicated analytic social interaction, and social capital. Incorporating
work and activities, such as the GBV survey an appropriate complementary activity beyond
conducted in partnership with UNICEF and the cash transfers itself is critical if GBV is to be
UNFPA in 2017. A number of projects also have
specific activities to improve access to GBV 21
Ana Maria Buller, Amber Peterman, Meghna Ranganathan,
Alexandra Bleile, Melissa Hidrobo, Lori Heise, A Mixed-Method
service provision. Review of Cash Transfers and Intimate Partner Violence in
Low- and Middle-Income Countries, The World Bank Research
Observer, Volume 33, Issue 2, August 2018, Pages 218–258
20
Breaking Barriers, Creating Opportunities
addressed through social safety net programs. This women’s participation and decision making in
nuanced point, that social responsive safety nets a rigid, norms-constrained environment, and
on their own might not be relied on to address GBV, simultaneously a focus on institutionalizing the
but thoughtful complementary elements that are gains of the project in government programming.
well implemented can make a difference is a lesson Its design as a large-scale development and
to further strengthen the Shock Responsive Safety reconstruction program empowers communities to
Net for Human Capital project as well as any future plan, manage, and monitor development projects
projects addressing social safety nets. of their own design, builds local governance
capacity within communities, and ensures that
LESSONS AND EVIDENCE FROM activities respond directly to each community’s
OTHER CONTEXTS THAT COULD needs. NSP built specific measures into its project
BE TRIED IN SOMALIA TO design, as highlighted in an impact evaluation,
EXPAND WOMEN’S VOICE AND
to advance participation of women. For example,
AGENCY
gender parity was mandated in community
The examples provided below present a range of councils which advanced participation of women
interventions with potential to improve women’s in village development activities and increased
voice and agency, whether through improved men’s acceptance of female participation in
participation in decision-making structures political activity and local governance. NSP led
or through GBV prevention and response. All to a 22 percent increase in acceptance of female
interventions have been examined for their membership of village councils and a 15 percent
implementability and relevance in FCV contexts or increase in acceptance of female participation in
contexts of emergencies and reduced capacities. the selection of the village headman. In addition,
project activities improved female mobility by
1. Participation and Voice in Decision-making increasing ability of women to travel beyond their
Women are largely absent from decision-making village. Women within NSP villages were found
at different levels in Somalia. Evidence suggests 13 percent more likely to have visited the nearest
that a community-led development approach village in the past year and 11 per cent more likely
can contribute to increase women’s participation to have visited the district center in the past month.
in local governance decision making, inclusion in These experiences highlight how incorporating
networks, as well as foster voice and agency. a community-led model in Somalia has strong
potential to address social norms challenges.
Learning from Bank experience on community-
led rural infrastructure projects that address Community led projects can also influence norms
social norms and constraints for women in FCV as well as outcomes for women’s economic
contexts: The Afghanistan National Solidarity opportunity. One example of this is the Lao Poverty
Program (NSP), a community-led reconstruction Reduction Fund II which had improved female
and rural infrastructure initiative, made significant participation in local governance and decision-
achievements in empowering communities making activities by significantly increasing female
and addressing social norms constraints for attendance at general village meetings and laying
women. The lessons from NSP are specifically the groundwork for a model of strong female
relevant to Somalia given its FCV status, its engagement in the project. This project then laid
focus on a community-led approach given the groundwork for the Lao Poverty Reduction
weak or non-functioning institutional and Fund III. Lao Poverty Reduction Fund III focused
government mechanisms, its design to include on improving women’s access to waged work in a
21
Accelerating Gender Equality in Somalia
traditionally male-led sector—road maintenance. public works program in Burkina Faso. Of 36 urban
The goal was to increase the number of women work sites, 18 were randomly selected to receive
selected for Road Maintenance Groups (RMGs) who community-based childcare centers. One in four
earn an income, as a percentage of the number of women who were offered the centers used them,
poor households in village, from 8 percent to 16 tripling childcare center usage for children aged
percent. Small groups of up to 10 women worked 0 to 6 years. Women’s employment and financial
on routine maintenance of roads such as clearing outcomes improved, and child development
drains and bridges, as well as repairing potholes scores increased. The childcare centers were also
and retaining walls. An impact evaluation of the cost-effective. The monthly cost of operating each
Road Maintenance Groups found the program center was USD 16.6 per child if they were running
increased the probability of women becoming at full capacity (USD 25.2 per child on average in
regular earners by 77%, increasing their monthly the study as the centers typically had around 33
earnings by 175,000 kip ($US 19) on average, and children enrolled instead of the maximum 50).
increased incomes of beneficiary households by Women who used the childcare centers earned
approximately one third. This is especially striking an extra USD 23 to 25 per month. If any additional
considering the lack of opportunities for women benefits from children’s improved development
in project areas, where only 7% of women were are factored, the overall gains were even higher.
engaged in non-household income generating
activities before joining an RMG. Such a focused 2. GBV Prevention and Response
approach on offering support to women in one Addressing GBV is fundamental to advancing both
specific sector or profession with high value and gender equality and the Bank’s and government’s
returns might be an option for Somalia to explore. development ambitions more generally. In the
We use this example to demonstrate how, even in past decade, there is a growing body of well
complex contexts such as Somalia, well designed documented Bank experience22 in addressing GBV
projects that enable female participation and voice prevention and response across sector, both in
can then be built on for larger work that touches terms of sectoral interventions and standalone
on rigid social norms and behaviors. projects, that are of relevance to the Somalia
portfolio.
Evidence highlights the potential for childcare to
address constraints for women in participation and Implementing effective prevention interventions
voice in decision-making. Childcare has also been could also increase survivors’ uptake of GBV
highlighted as a key approach to improve women’s services and lead to enhanced community-level
employment opportunities and productivity. support for them while addressing norms and
Providing childcare addresses constraints to dynamics underpinning violence. Sectoral work
social norms and can contribute to changing provides several entry points to address both
perception of women’s roles in society, as well as the prevention and response on gender-based
decrease women’s time poverty to enable them violence and it is most effective if both prevention
to engage in local decision-making, community, and response to GBV is addressed simultaneously.
and income generating activities. For example, a Strong community led prevention activities should
recent paper further studied whether providing then be complemented by investment to improve
affordable childcare improves women’s economic services and quality care for survivors of violence.
empowerment and child development, using data
from a sample of 1,990 women participating in a 22
Gender Based Violence Prevention and Response in World Bank
Operations: A Retrospective (2012-2022).
22
Breaking Barriers, Creating Opportunities
In Somalia, limited availability and reliability of a sustainable approach for delivering GBV services
GBV response services, combined with significant through Community-Based Organizations (CBOs)
social and cultural barriers to reporting GBV, and works to build the capacity of provincial health
is reflected in low service seeking behavior by departments and community-level providers to
survivors. provide quality care for survivors.
Improving access to and quality of multisectoral In Bangladesh, the Health and Gender Support
response services: Provision of care for survivors of Project for Cox’s Bazar District aims to improve the
GBV necessitates a holistic, multi-sectoral approach, access to and utilization of GBV response services
including provision of case management support, among the host and the displaced Rohingya
medical and mental health and psychosocial care, population in Cox’s Bazar district and incorporates
police and judicial support, and also economic key interventions in all tiers of health care and
empowerment support and safe shelter. A number also in the camps. It builds on the government's
of Bank-supported investments are working to existing health structures, working directly with
strengthen access to and quality of GBV response health clinics, which have a strong presence in the
services, using the health sector in particular as an community already and provide the main entry
entry point for more comprehensive care. point for GBV services. More complex cases are
referred to higher level tiers of response within
In Kenya, the Covid-19 Health Emergency Response the health delivery system. Such a model might
Project, acknowledges the health sector as an be particularly relevant to the conflict and climate
immediate and critical entry point for engaging in displaced populations in Somalia.
GBV mitigation and first line response. The project
strengthens the capacity of health care providers Incorporating evidence-based models to address
to identify the risks and health consequences of mental health and trauma: Exposure to GBV violence
GBV and to offer first line support and medical commonly results in experiences of enduring
treatment. Trainings relate to GBV case screening, trauma of survivors and quality care necessitates
medical case management, including the collection access to mental health and psychosocial support
of forensic evidence, updating and disseminating services (MHPSS). In the DRC, the Bank supported
relevant protocols and guidance notes for health investments to test effectiveness of Narrative
practitioners. It also incorporates the GBV Quality Exposure Therapy (NET), which is a short-term
Assurance (QA) Tool, which offers health care intervention to reduce Post-Traumatic Stress
providers, facilities, and program planners a way Disorder symptoms resulting from exposure to
to start, strengthen or expand post-GBV health multiple traumatic events, including GBV. NET was
services using 28 evidence-based standards to implemented as part of the Great Lakes Emergency
assess the quality of care delivery. In addition, the Sexual and Gender Based Violence and Women’s
project offers psychosocial support for frontline Health Project and continues to be implemented
workers and potential survivors. under the DRC GBV Prevention and Response
Project, with adaptations to the model integrated
The DRC GBV Prevention and Response Project for community-members, children, and violent
(P166763) has a strong emphasis on health, offenders. Results from the impact evaluation show
including partnership with Provincial Health strong effects on mental health outcomes of NET
Departments and Centers of Excellence to improve beneficiaries in both the short- and medium-term,
access to case management, medical support and with decreases in Post-Tramautic Stress Disorder
psychosocial care. The project further incorporates and reductions depression and anxiety. Increases
23
Accelerating Gender Equality in Somalia
in beneficiary self-esteem and local functioning Inclusion of evidence-based GBV prevention
were also observed, as well as small improvements interventions have been also demonstrated both
in women’s economic empowerment. Importantly, to address norms and dynamics that underpin
program had significant impact only when acceptability and perpetration of violence, while
implemented by laypeople, rather than by trained also increasing uptake of GBV response services
mental health practitioners, through CBOs which by survivors. Prevention programming has also
seems promising to explore in Somalia given the been shown to improve community attitudes and
weak mental health professional care systems. In support of survivors seeking care.
particular, NET works in a low income, low literacy,
and conflict-affected settings with high levels of In Somalia, the United Nations Children’s Fund
trauma, with sustained effects over time. (UNICEF) Communities Care: Transforming Lives
and Preventing Violence is a program designed
Focusing on behavior change and addressing to empower people in conflict-affected and
social norms, involving women, men, and boys: other humanitarian settings to create safer and
Addressing the underlying causes of GBV, such healthier communities by addressing harmful
as imbalanced power relations between men norms. The Communities Care program uses a
and women, attitudes, beliefs, and practices ‘facilitated dialogue’ method, which is a structured
that exclude women and are deeply entrenched conversation led by trained community members.
in society’s beliefs and practices, requires It brings groups of adults and adolescents together
long-term engagement and explicit focus on to build awareness about shared values of respect
changing gender norms. Comparing different for human dignity, fairness and justice; to connect
forms of prevention and awareness raising their experiences of violence and injustice to the
activities, global evidence shows that longer experiences of others; and to analyze how gender
term integrated approaches (more than six norms contribute to violence and injustice. The
months) that include community outreach and impact evaluation of the program showed that
participatory workshops and that promote the program led to 14.2 percent reduction in social
reflection and debate to explicitly change gender norms that support husbands right to use violence
roles tend to show more promising results in against their wives. Similarly, there was a 22.3
changing perceptions around acceptability percent reduction in social norms that support
of GBV.23 It is key that programs that aim to protection family honor and 11.1 percent reduction
prevent GBV recognize that violence is the in norms that support negative responses towards
outcome of a complex interaction of factors that sexual violence survivors.
play at individual, interpersonal (families and
households), community, and society levels. To Based on the key lessons from the Great Lakes
be effective, prevention interventions need to Emergency Sexual and Gender Based Violence
promote change at all these levels and engage and Women’s Health Project, the DRC GBV
both sexes and younger community members. Prevention and Response Project puts great
emphasis on prevention and behavior change
activities at community level, including livelihood
strengthening interventions. The project combines
23
For example, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development
prevention interventions targeting individual,
Office’s What Works to Prevent Violence Against Women and household, and community levels, including
Girls Program and the World Bank and the World Bank Group
Sexual Violence Research Initiative’s Development Marketplace: awareness raising campaigns through social media
Innovations to Address GBV.
24
Breaking Barriers, Creating Opportunities
and radio, gender-transformative interventions engaging men and boys. Community mobilization
and implementation of evidence-based prevention programs such as SASA! are shown to be effective
programming—including SASA! and Engaging to transform attitudes, beliefs, and norms in low-
Men in Accountable Practice (EMAP)—with the resource settings.24
overarching aim to change attitudes, perceptions,
and behaviors among both women and men around The Bandebereho, or “role model,” couples’
gender equality and violence. Economic support project in Rwanda engaged men and their
services supported by the project play a key role in partners in participatory, small group sessions
both GBV prevention and response, by addressing of critical reflection and dialogue with the goal
key vulnerabilities that increase women’s exposure of transforming norms around masculinity and
to violence and by providing for medium- to longer- fatherhood. The program had 15 weekly sessions
term recovery and reintegration. addressing the following themes: gender and
power; fatherhood; couple communication and
Implemented in North and South Kivu by the decision-making; intimate partner violence;
International Rescue Committee, the Engaging caregiving; child development; and male
Men through Account Practice (EMAP) program, engagement in reproductive and maternal health.
implemented under the Great Lakes Projects, Results of a randomized controlled trial (RCT)
is a series of facilitated group discussions for showed the program led to substantial reduction in
men in the DRC that sought to reduce intimate- intimate partner violence along with other positive
partner violence and transform gender relations outcomes such as increases in reproductive health-
in communities by creating male allies who seeking behaviors and women’s participation
practice and promote gender equity and do not in household decision-making among others.
use violence. The randomized control trial of the However, another RCT of a couples’ discussion
program found that the program significantly group program for members of village savings
improved gender attitudes of participants, their and loan associations in Rwanda found that in
participation in housework, intra-household comparison to couples in control communities,
cooperation, and decreased men’s intention the program led to substantially higher rates of
to commit violence, but did not impact rates of intimate partner violence among participating
IPV. The follow-up analysis also showed that the couples. The implementing organization revealed
EMAP program was more effective at reducing IPV some issues with facilitator experience and
perpetration among the men who were the most training, facilitator supervision and support, overall
physically violent at baseline. These results suggest program management, accelerated timelines to
that men who perpetrate violence against their accommodate funding constraints, adequacy
female partners with greater severity and frequency of community-level engagement, and program
than average may be inspired to reduce their use of adaptations to facilitate the research design.25
violence through participatory discussion with less These findings suggest that implementation
violent men. quality is an essential consideration to achieve the
desired outcomes.
As in the DRC, in Bangladesh, the Health and Gender
Support Project in Cox’s Bazar partnered with the
United Nations Population Fund team (UNFPA) 24
WHO and UN Women. RESPECT women – Preventing violence
against women https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/
to roll out SASA!, a social norms community WHO-RHR-18.19.
mobilization program, among the highly 25
“Halim, Daniel; Ubfal, Diego; Wangchuk, Rigzom. 2023.
vulnerable displaced population to promote GBV Policy Lessons on Reducing Gender-based Violence. Gender
Innovation Lab Federation Evidence Series;No.1. © World Bank,
prevention through community mobilization and Washington, DC.
25
Accelerating Gender Equality in Somalia
Finally, advancing legal protections that protect Resilience Development Policy Operation) revised
women and girls and enable them to live their lives school regulations to allow girls to remain in
free from violence: Building political commitment, school if they are pregnant; a second DPL enacted
investing in women’s organizations, implementing protective regulations to establish a system for
and enforcing laws and policies, and allocating reporting and referral of cases with a survivor-
resources to address violence against women are centered, case-management approach, allowing
some key considerations in strengthening the the acceleration of cases requiring criminal
enabling environment.26 It is especially relevant in prosecution to the Ministry of Justice, institute
a context like Somalia where socio-cultural norms a code of conduct for all public school staff, and
and the clan-based political system continue to revise the curriculum on sexual and reproductive
limit women’s roles in public decision making and health. In Benin, the First and Second Unlocking
critical legislation against GBV is lacking. Human and Productive Potential Development
Policy Financing series, have achieved significant
At the World Bank, Development Policy Financings legal protections against GBV. A new law, passed
play an important role in supporting enabling in December 2021, significantly strengthens
legislation to address harassment and assault protections against GBV; expands the definition
in public spaces and workplaces; domestic and/ of GBV; and increases or institutes criminal
or intimate-partner violence; and child marriage. sentences for sexual harassment, rape, child and
The GBV retrospective from 2012 to 2022 notes forced marriage, female genital mutilation. A
that sequencing of DPFs with Investment Project health regulatory overhaul in 2021 defines a wide
Financing (IPFs) creates an enabling policy array of services as part of Sexual Reproductive
environment followed by implementation Health, from sexual and reproductive information
support.27 For example, in São Tomé and Príncipe, to modern contraception, prenatal and postnatal
a sequence of two DPFs were followed by an health, access to safe abortions, and support to
IPF. The first DPF (STP COVID-19 Recovery and GBV survivors.
26
WHO and UN Women. 2019. RESPECT women – Preventing
violence against women. The RESPECT framework, was prepared
by a coalition of donor, multilateral and bilateral agencies https://
www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-RHR-18.19
27
Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response in World Bank
Operations: A Retrospective (2012-22).
26
Breaking Barriers, Creating Opportunities
4. CLIMATE CHANGE
THE ISSUES: To address this, interventions should seek ways to
Women and girls are disproportionately affected improve inclusion of women as important agents of
by climate shocks and stresses. They experience climate leadership, adaptation, and mitigation. It is
structural inequalities compared to men and boys, critical to ensure that climate finance is delivered
which are exacerbated by adverse climate events in directly to the communities at the frontlines of the
many countries. Women and girls are also affected fight against climate change and to utilize bottom-
up, community-led approaches, with central roles
differently by climate policies as they typically
for women, in climate action.
have unequal access to opportunities created by
green transition. It is especially critical in Somalia,
Women are not currently positioned to benefit from
ranked as the fourth most gender inequitable
green jobs: It is critical that clean energy transitions,
country in the world (Gender Inequality Index at
and the related green jobs creation, benefit women.
0.776), where 56 percent of women cannot read,
Existing patterns of occupational sex segregation
36 percent of Somali girls are married before they
(women and men doing different work), skills gaps,
reach 18 years of age. Future climate shocks and
and gaps in female labor force participation mean
stresses bring an additional risk for widening women may be at a disadvantage. Between 2015-
gender gaps in access to health, education, jobs, 2021, 66 percent of transitions into green jobs were
freedom from violence and participation in public made by men globally. To benefit from green jobs,
life. In recent years, the incidence of both drought women will need the right education and job-
and flooding in Somalia has increased. In 2021, for relevant skills, including in STEM, where they are
example, flooding displaced 620,000 Somalians under-represented. Women can receive training in
while 34 districts reported droughts. One of the climate smart agriculture, solar energy, and other
longest and most severe droughts in Somali livelihoods activities that have a strong climate
history contributed to the deaths of 43,000 people lens. In Somalia, the private sector supplies
in 2022. This drought has exacerbated vulnerability electricity services in Somalia which are sourced
of women and girls, with a 10 percent increase in from solar, wind and other generators; however,
reported rape cases and 17 percent increase in there are limited entry points for women to work
reported IPV in drought-affected communities. in this sector.
27
Accelerating Gender Equality in Somalia
HOW THE CURRENT WORLD BANK Other examples of interventions illustrate the
PORTFOLIO IN SOMALIA CURRENTLY potential for incorporating additional approaches
ADDRESSES GENDER ISSUES that support women’s role in climate leadership,
RELATED TO CLIMATE CHANGE adaptation, and mitigation. Within the region, the
Women’s role in addressing, mitigating, responding Financing Locally-Led Climate Action Program
and leading climate adaptation is an area that (FLLoCA) in Kenya delivers locally-led climate
can still be developed in the portfolio. Projects in resilience actions and strengthens the county and
health and disaster risk management have largely national government's capacity to manage climate
focused on women’s inclusion and participation risks. FLLoCA’s process prioritizes that all voices
in decision making: Currently, the Somalia Crisis are heard, and that investments can tap into the
Response Project (SCRP) provides immediate traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples, the
support to areas hit by flooding and droughts, exceptional risk management skills of women,
in addition to enabling response to COVID-19 the perspective and experience of persons with
and building preparedness capacity for disaster disabilities and elders, the energy of youth to design
risk management. The project ensures women’s sustainable and inclusive solutions While it has not
inclusion and participation in decision-making had a large or deliberate focus on women and girls,
bodies, including participation in the development its model focused on grass-roots empowerment
of the integrated community preparedness, of communities can well be adapted specifically
adaptation, and response plans. In addition, the to address barriers and gaps that women face in
Improving Healthcare Services in Somalia Project, Somalia. Ninety percent of program funding from
or Damal Caafimaad, aims to improve the coverage FLLoCA will be spent at county and community
of essential health and nutrition services in Project levels to ensure that support for climate resilience
areas and strengthen stewardship capacity of reaches those most at risk, including women,
Ministries of Health. Its focus on taking on climate youth, persons with disabilities, elders, and other
change adaptation measures to the impacts of traditionally marginalized groups. The FLLoCA
extreme heat, drought, and floods, as well as program establishes the first national scale model
mitigate against greenhouse gas emission could of devolved climate finance and supports Kenya
seek to incorporate women into leadership roles. in translating their ambitious climate agenda into
scaled up action on the ground. The program
LESSONS AND EVIDENCE recognizes that locally-led adaptation is more
FROM OTHER CONTEXTS THAT effective than top-down interventions, as local
COULD BE TRIED IN SOMALIA actors are more aware of the context in which
TO ADDRESS GENDER ISSUES they operate and know what is required to effect
RELATED TO CLIMATE CHANGE change at their level. FLLoCA aims to ensure that
Recent research examines the importance of local institutions understand climate risks and
inclusion of varying traditionally marginalized uncertainties, generate solutions, and manage
groups in climate action, as they have some of the adaptation initiatives over the long term without
world’s richest traditional knowledge and practices being dependent on project-based donor
that they have been using to build the resilience funding. The program supports the integration
of their communities to climate shocks. They have of climate science with local and traditional
often been organizers and leaders at the local level knowledge to enable resilience under a range of
in the fight against climate change, despite limiting climate scenarios.
patriarchal norms.
28
Breaking Barriers, Creating Opportunities
There are key opportunities for targeting women having supported their community and family.
and girls in disaster mitigation and response Several community volunteers have run for office
initiatives. As highlighted in the 2018 Somalia in their local barangay (village) following their
Drought Impact Needs Assessment,28 disasters participation in NCDDP. One lesson from NCDDP
can exacerbate the existing vulnerabilities and is that women can meet challenges from their
social marginalization of women and girls. Coping husbands as they spend significant time away
strategies to disasters such as dropping out of from their family responsibilities. Strong project
school, migration, increased travel distances for support mechanisms need to be in place to provide
survival typically result in increased burdens and risk support to women in managing these challenges.
on women. Therefore, early warning and response
actions must prioritize their specific needs and There are useful lessons from existing initiatives on
disproportionate risk exposure. Gender-responsive how to design women’s livelihoods programming
governance, alongside gender sensitive policies with a strong climate lens. For example, In the
and interventions and integrating women in early Democratic Republic of Congo, the DRC Gender
warning and response systems are opportunities Based Violence Prevention and Response Project
to mainstream gender across all sectors included aims to increase the participation in Gender Based
in recovery plans. In the Philippines, the World Violence (GBV) prevention programs, utilization
Bank has provided recovery support through the of multi-sectoral response services for survivors
National Community Driven Development Program of GBV, and provide immediate and effective
(NCDDP), implemented by the Department of response to eligible crises or emergencies. As part
Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). NCDDP of its economic support services, the project trains
was initiated following Typhoon Haiyan, which GBV survivors and vulnerable women in climate
devastated large parts of the eastern areas of the smart agriculture approaches including the Farmer
Philippines in November 2013. The NCDDP served Field School Kitchen Gardens model. Agriculture
as a main channel for assistance for early recovery livelihoods participants use a tiered model,
in typhoon-affected areas, allowing communities chemical-free and natural pesticides, and utilizes
to drive the planning and decision-making process. fertilizer generated from livestock livelihoods.
Communities led the implementation of smaller
infrastructure projects and benefitted from cash In Ghana, the Dedicated Grant Mechanism for
for work interventions. Women's participation Local Communities Project was designed to
has been strong in NCDDP. Women, making up promote the inclusion of communities reliant on
around 65 percent of community volunteers forests in policy formulation and initiatives as well
between 2014 and 2024, have actively participated as in other Reduced Emissions from Deforestation
in community processes, including community and Forest Degradation (REDD+) programs that
meetings, situational analysis, community project seek to reduce deforestation and degradation. It
identification and prioritization and community provided capacity-building interventions which
implementation. Between 2014 and 2020, 35 included REDD+ training, as well as sustainable
percent of project labor workers were women. and climate-smart practices, provided on-farm
Women are consistently expressing strong and household-level trainings, improved extension
appreciation for the project, which leaves them with service providers’ ability to incorporate climate-
a feeling of empowerment and accomplishment smart practices, improved the communities
understanding of the link between livelihood
28
UNDP, 2018. Somalia Drought Impact Needs Assessment.
https://www.undp.org/publications/somalia-drought-impact-
activities and deforestation and degradation,
and-needs-assessment
29
Accelerating Gender Equality in Somalia
and supported activities including shade cocoa There are several initiatives that highlight how
with agroforestry, improved energy use, tree renewable energy plays a role in women’s
planting, nursery raising, and bee keeping. It also livelihoods with a strong climate lens. The
financed community-level initiatives, individual WePOWER initiative in the South Asia region is
initiatives, and community-based organizations promoting a normative change for girls in STEM
to undertake small-scale sustainable initiatives education and employment in the energy sector.
that fall under predetermined themes related Since its launch in 2019, the program has led to
to climate change and REDD+. It was found the recruitment of 22,385 female student interns,
in a recent study to have resulted in benefits enrollment of 2,075 female students in study tours,
and positive normative shifts for women at participation of 35,378 female students in 341
the individual, household, and community STEM Outreach Workshops, and hiring of 1,378
level, suggesting that the DGM Ghana project women through job fairs, career counseling and
has been successful in supporting meaningful, mentorship. The initiative has reached more than
positive changes for women at multiple scales. 136,644 female beneficiaries to date. In addition,
This experience can generate lessons for the the IFC’s Energy2Equal project collaborates with
Somalia program by focusing more intentionally large, medium, and small firms to reduce gender
on incorporate reinforcing measures to ensure gaps in the Renewable Energy sector workforce in
norm shifts that are more gender equitable for Sub-Saharan Africa and increase research and data
women and their communities. on the business case for women’s participation.
30
Breaking Barriers, Creating Opportunities
5. CONCLUSION
This paper is meant to inform future programming financing instruments that the World Bank uses
on women’s empowerment in Somalia and in Somalia. In other equally important areas, such
strengthen and deepen work on narrowing gender as addressing climate change, the evidence is still
gaps through Somalia’s active portfolio. Towards evolving and emerging, as is the World Bank’s
this end, the paper first presented the key gender role as an institution but there are a range of
challenges in Somalia across four areas: human issues that can be very well addressed and tested
development, economic opportunities, voice systematically. The paper demonstrates that there
and agency and climate change. It then offered a is an important role for women to play in climate
brief bird's eye look at how the current portfolio change activities, both as leaders and as those that
attempts to address such challenges. Lastly, and are disproportionately affected by the aftermath.
most expansively, the paper has then gone into the After a decade of work in our institution on Gender-
“how” such challenges might be addressed going Based Violence, the paper also clearly shows that
forward by synthesizing lessons and approaches the importance of addressing social norms and GBV
globally as well as in Somalia that can be cannot be underestimated to achieve Somalia’s
considered for future programming through World development goals. Confronting challenges with
Bank projects. Since gender inequality in Somalia is complementary and multi-sectoral programming
a severe issue across every dimension some of the is key to continuing progress in strengthening the
proposed solution areas were strategically selected socioeconomic outcomes of women.
for where the World Bank can play a critical role in
assisting Somalia to narrow gender gaps. As a next step, this note provides the basis for a
discussion on concrete ways to bridge gender gaps
The evidence in this paper highlights that a lot more holistically in future programming as well as to
can be done across these four areas in a systematic lay out a road map for World Bank programming
manner for transformative change that tangibly that incorporates these four strategic areas. In
improves the lives of women and girls in Somalia. subsequent discussions with task teams and
It will require a thoughtful and focused approach the Country Management team, the Somalia
on gender gaps: either through standalone and Women’s Empowerment Platform can further
well-designed components or through a multi- explore implementation strategies, appropriate
sectoral standalone project that focuses on partners, terms of references and implementation
women and girls’ empowerment. The evidence toolkits, and find a balance between implementing
also shows that for some issues (for example: the strong evidence-based programming, investing in
issues affecting adolescent girls) there is already implementation modalities and techniques and in
a wealth of knowledge and evidence that can some areas, fostering innovation and testing bold
be applied to the Somali context and suits the promising strategies across these four areas.
31
Accelerating Gender Equality in Somalia
ANNEX 1: APPROACHES AND TOOLS
What Works to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls is an innovative global program working in 13
countries across the world building the evidence base on What Works to prevent violence in low-middle
income settings. https://www.whatworks.co.za/about/where-we-work/south-africa
RESPECT Women: Preventing violence against women – Implementation package. This implementation
package comprises a suite of practical resources and tools to support the implementation of the RESPECT
Women: Preventing Violence against Women Framework, which was developed by WHO, with UN Women,
in 2019 and is endorsed by 12 other UN agencies and bilateral partners. https://www.unwomen.org/en/
digital-library/publications/2020/07/respect-women-implementation-package
IRC VSLA Facilitator Guide
The Village Savings and Loans Association Facilitator Guide is developed for staff supporting the
implementation of Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) activities. VSLAs are used as an integral part of
International Rescue Committee's Economic and Social Empowerment (EA$E) program model. https://
www.fsnnetwork.org/resource/village-savings-and-loans-association-facilitators-guide
CARE VSLA 101
https://www.care.org/our-work/education-and-work/microsavings/vsla-101/
GENDER INTEGRATION GUIDANCE NOTE FOR CLIMATE INVESTMENT FUND PROJECTS
https://d2qx68gt0006nn.cloudfront.net/sites/cif_enc/files/knowledge-documents/cif_gender_
integration_guidance_note.pdf
32
Breaking Barriers, Creating Opportunities
ANNEX 2: LIST OF RELEVANT RESEARCH
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Children : Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation in Burkina Faso (English). Policy Research working
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worldbank.org/curated/en/099215111282254210/IDU09ee54b690865904f71089a60d76ad621601c
Anguko, Andrew. 2015. “Livelihoods in Somalia: Impact Evaluation of Community Driven Livelihood and
Food Security Initiatives in Lower and Middle Juba Regions.” Effectiveness Review Series 2014/15. https://
reliefweb. int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/er-livelihoods-somalia-effectiveness-review-301115-en.pdf.
Anderson, C. Leigh, Travis W. Reynolds, Pierre Biscaye, Vedavati Patwardhan & Carly Schmidt (2021)
Economic Benefits of Empowering Women in Agriculture: Assumptions and Evidence, The Journal of
Development Studies, 57:2, 193-208, DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2020.1769071
Annan, J, A Donald, M Goldstein, PG Martinez. Taking power: women's empowerment and household well-
being in Sub-Saharan. Africa World Development Volume 140, April 2021, 105292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
worlddev.2020.105292
Akresh, Richard; de Walque, Damien; Kazianga, Harounan. 2016. Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation
of the Household Welfare Impacts of Conditional and Unconditional Cash Transfers Given to Mothers
or Fathers. Policy Research Working Paper;No. 7730. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://hdl.handle.
net/10986/24647
Ayivi-Guedehoussou N, Dervisevic E, Donald A, Hwang H, Khonde L, Lewis C, Morrison L, Phipps V, Pierotti
R, Vaillant J. 2021. Women's Economic Empowerment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Obstacles
and Opportunities. World Bank, Washington, DC. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/36703
Buller, A, et al, A Mixed-Method Review of Cash Transfers and Intimate Partner Violence in Low- and Middle-
Income Countries, The World Bank Research Observer, Volume 33, Issue 2, August 2018, Pages 218–258,
https://doi.org/10.1093/wbro/lky002
Croke, Kevin; Goldstein, Markus; Holla, Alaka. 2018. Can Job Training Decrease Women's Self-Defeating
Biases? Experimental Evidence from Nigeria. Gender Innovation Lab Policy BriefDuflo, Esther. 2012.
"Women Empowerment and Economic Development." Journal of Economic Literature, 50 (4): 1051-79.DOI:
10.1257/jel.50.4.1051
Devercelli, Amanda and Frances Beaton-Day. 2020. Better Jobs and Brighter Futures: Investing in
Childcare to Build Human Capital. The World Bank. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/server/api/
core/bitstreams/a5e7a52e-115c-5dd1-97e6-c1b062c945c9/content
Giacobino, Hélène, Elise Huillery and Bastien Michel. 2019. "The Impact of Secondary School Scholarships
on Girls’ Skill Development and Female Empowerment in Niger." AEA RCT Registry. June 09. https://doi.
org/10.1257/rct.3296-2.0
Gurbuz Cuneo A, Vaillant J, Koussoubé E, Pierotti RS, Falb K, Kabeya R (2023) Prevention, Cessation, or harm
reduction: Heterogeneous effects of an intimate partner violence prevention program in eastern Democratic
Republic of the Congo. PLoS ONE 18(3): e0282339. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0282339
Hendriks, S. The role of financial inclusion in driving women's economic empowerment. Development in
Practice, 2019 - Taylor & Francis Pages 1029-1038 | Received 10 May 2019, https://doi.org/10.1080/096145
24.2019.1660308
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UNDP. 2018. Somalia Drought Impact and Needs Assessment. https://www.undp.org/publications/
somalia-drought-impact-and-needs-assessment
Knight, L., Allen, E., Mirembe, A. et al. Implementation of the Good School Toolkit in Uganda: a quantitative
process evaluation of a successful violence prevention program. BMC Public Health 18, 608 (2018).
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-5462-1
Parkes, J; Heslop, J; (2011) Stop Violence Against Girls in School : A cross country analysis of baseline
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Sarah Baird and others, Cash or Condition? Evidence from a Cash Transfer Experiment, The Quarterly
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qje/qjr032
Shah, Manisha; Seager, Jennifer; Montalvao, Joao; Goldstein, Markus. 2022. Two Sides of Gender : Sex,
Power, and Adolescence. Policy Research Working Papers;10072. World Bank, Washington, DC. © World
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Wong, Susan. 2012. “What Have Been the Impacts of World Bank Community Driven Development
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what-have-been-the-impacts-of-world-bank-community-driven-development-programs-cdd-impact-evalua-
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