AU mission launches campaign against gender-based violence in Somalia

Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-26 00:26:01|Editor: yan
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MOGADISHU, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) on Saturday launched a campaign across the Horn of Africa nation aimed at preventing and eliminating violence against women and girls in Somalia.

The campaign dubbed "16 Days Activism Against Gender-Based Violence" was launched simultaneously in Somalia's regional capitals as part of a global campaign to create awareness about some of the most widespread human rights violations.

Speaking during the launch in Mogadishu, Christine Alalo, AMISOM Deputy Police Commissioner called on victims of gender-based violence to speak out and break the silence on these violations.

"When we keep quiet and don't talk about it, then we are also perpetrators of gender-based violence," Alalo said in a statement issued in Mogadishu after the launch.

The global theme of the campaign this year is "Leave No One Behind -- End Violence Against Women And Girls."

"The overall theme correlates to AMISOM's role as a peace support operation, in which we support the Federal Government of Somalia and Federal Member States to provide a secure environment where children feel safe to go to school; where civilians can thrive and go about their daily activities unhindered; where communities appreciate the civil liberties that come with the presence of peace and security," Alalo said.

She said AMISOM is committed to ending violence against women and girls considered as the most extreme form of discrimination; and subscribes to the ideals enshrined in the charters and protocols of the African Union.

The campaign, 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, is organized around the world annually from Nov. 25 marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to Dec. 10, the Human Rights Day.

According to a 2016 UN report based on data from 87 countries, 19 percent of women aged between 15 and 49 years, have experienced physical and/or sexual violence.

According to the report, harmful practices such as female genital mutilation, which is still widely practiced in Somalia and considered an extreme case of violence against women, has declined by 24 percent worldwide, although prevalence remains high in at least 30 countries.

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