“We didn’t have a government for 27 years, so we are used to resolving issues by ourselves”. These are the words of Salma, mother of nine children and an internally displaced person (IDP) in Somalia. Like many others, Salma fled the country during the civil war and was able to come back only after many years of state instability. In her challenge to rebuild her own life and the one of her children, Salma was supported by Safeworld, an independent international organization which works to prevent violent conflicts and build safer lives in precarious situations.
Safeworld “helped us to get justice through legal aid and a fair trial” says Asha, mother of a girl who was kidnapped and raped on her way to school.
Safeworld is particularly active in Somalia. Here, access to fair and accountable justice is in fact still a challenge for women, due to gender norms and tradition that encourages informal dispute resolution focused on social harmony rather than individual rights, and in which women are usually represented by male relatives. In this context, Safeworld, by conducting seminars in refugee camps, has been raising awareness on a number of key topics, such as conflict resolution, women empowerment, social inclusion, access to justice and fair trial guarantees.
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