Training and Advocacy Development Worker

Progressio has made a significant contribution to international development and human rights for more than seventy years. We support poor and marginalised people, especially women, to empower themselves – People Powered Development – by placing development workers to share skills in nine countries, and through our international policy, advocacy and campaigning. Progressio has Catholic roots and works with people of all faiths and none.

Training and Advocacy Development Worker

Network Against FGM/C in Somaliland (NAFIS)

Based in Hargeisa, Somaliland

One-yearplacement

Please note that the selected applicant will be required to take up the placement byOctober 2015.

The Training and Advocacy Development Workerwill be placed with NAFIS and work alongside key staff in the organisation on a daily basis,building their knowledge and skills in regard to effective, participatory and democratic governance, particularly around developing and implementing advocacy and lobbying strategies and action plans on FGM/C.S/he will also take a lead on project activities by providing on-going mentoring and on-the-job coaching.

BACKGROUND TO PROGRESSIO

Progressio is a UK-based charity working internationally to enable poor and marginalised people in developing countries to challenge and change the situations that keep them poor. We currently work on people’s rights, development and environment in nine countries and have a long history of working in fragile, post-conflict and authoritarian states. We work with people of all faiths and none.

Progressio works in long-term partnerships with local pro-poor organisations and community groups in the global South. We provide training, advice and support through specialist development workers (DWs) and consultants, most from the global South. They know what works and help our partner organisations find lasting solutions to the problems that poor communities face. We also send committed young adults from the UK to engage alongside local volunteers in community development work, through the International Citizen Service (ICS) programme. DWs, Consultants and ICS volunteers help thousands of people in some of the world’s poorest communities to make lasting improvements to their lives.

Because poverty is about unequal power relations and lack of rights, we support poor and marginalised people to empower themselves to change the structures that keep them in poverty. We help strengthen their call for change locally as well as in the UK and mainland Europe. With our supporters, we stand alongside poor communities in demanding that decision-makers give priority to those with least power and least wealth. For more information please visit:

INTRODUCTION

Somaliland declared independence in 1991 shortly after the civil war ended. There were a series of inter-clan conferences, which culminated in the Borama Conference of 1993, where a largely clan-based but still fairly democratic system of government was constructed (Ministry of National Planning and Development or MoNPD, 2011).

The Government of Somaliland evolved into a multi-party democracy in 2002 after a number of extensions of the interim government’s mandate. The district council elections were contested by six parties and only the three most successful parties became the national political parties. In 2003, Daher Rayale Kahin became the first Somaliland president to be elected in a free and fair election and in 2010 H.E Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud Silanyo became the second Somaliland president to be elected in a free and fair election (MoNPD, 2011).

Somaliland lays claim to the territory of the former British Somaliland, which covers an area of 137,600 square kilometers, with a northern littoral of 850 kilometers. According to recent World Bank estimates (World Bank, 2014), the population in Somaliland is currently around 4 million and about 55% are thought to be nomadic. Most of the cities in Somaliland have witnessed substantial growth in population in recent years and the population of the Hargeisa metropolitan area is currently estimated at over 900,000 inhabitants (MoNPD, 2011).

Somaliland's GDP for 2012 is estimated by the World Bank to be about USD$1390.9 million with livestock being the main economic sector followed by the wholesale and retail sector. The economy is very open but there also is a large trade deficit, which is currently being financed by international aid and remittances. According to the Development Assistance Database, estimate international aid for Somaliland in 2012 was about USD$150 million. Also there are low levels of investment, both public and private, which overall results in low levels of employment and high levels of inequality. According to the International Labour Organization (World Bank, 2014), the biggest problems in terms of employment are the low ratio of employment among the youth, the high underemployment and the high share of workers in vulnerable employment.

The World Bank and United Nation figures show that there have been some improvements in the health of Somalilanders in the last decade, even though the situation remains critical. The child and infant mortality rates have gone down, measles vaccination rates have improved and malnutrition rates have diminished. Maternal mortality rates have improved but proportionately much less than other indicators (MoNPD, 2010). Still, Somaliland is facing many challenges, including the scarcity of financial, technical, and human resources, which makes the provision of an essential health service package that balances preventive, curative, and rehabilitative health services not feasible yet, and a critical shortage of trained manpower among all the cadres of the health sector.

With regard to education, even though the situation has greatly improved in the last two decades, Somaliland still faces many challenges, including the low net enrolment ratio in primary education, high drop-out rate in primary education, the low literacy rates and the low ratio of girls to boys attending primary and secondary schools (MoNPD, 2010).

It is common knowledge within the development community that gender inequality is an issue in Somaliland. Women's political participation is very low, as mentioned there is a gender gap in education, and maternal mortality rates are still high, not to mention gender based violence cases, with rape rates soaring in the last few years. It is worth noting then, and it is quite significant, that the Somaliland National Development Plan does not contain a section on women's issues or gender relations. However, it does have a section on youth, which is usually considered the other main marginalised group in Somaliland, although this seems to be changing. Although, there may be contrasting views on gender equality and development priorities in Somali society, the National Development Plan should at least consider women's issues in its country analysis, even if a gender perspective is not adopted.

Somaliland has ensuredthe physical and territorial security of its people with the deployment of armed forces and securing its territory. The only insecure parts as of November 2012 are some parts of the Sool and Sanaag regions that are contested between Somaliland and the State of Puntland. By and large, people’s security, including that of foreign nationals, can be guaranteed to a reasonable level. Most armed groups were disarmed and peaceful negotiations have been used to settle most of the differences. The state has managed to have monopoly over means of violence/coercion and therefore able to restore and enforce law and order. Although inter-clan clashes over land and grazing rights are occasionally reported in rural districts, these clashes do remain insignificant in nature, scope and impact.

Somaliland has established institutions to guarantee the rule of law. Public order is ensured by police and courts of law, both formal and traditional courts. There are legal frameworks set by Parliament and local councils to safeguard people’s rights and freedoms. The public has access to justice through the judiciary and other mechanisms, though this can be further strengthened. The culture of lawlessness has greatly reduced and citizens are subject to accountability to the law. Impunity and mob justice has no place in Somaliland. Various players are supporting institutional development for promoting justice, law and order.

Although Somaliland has established a democratically elected government with state structures, provision of essential services, civic participation and empowerment are still weak. The political accountability of elected leaders is picking up though allegiance to the clan authority is still dominant compared to allegiance to the electorate and democratic values. In some cases it is hard to draw a line when the majority of voters belong to the same clan as the elected leaders. Stewardship of state resources by political leaders and civil servants is beginning to take shape, though with unreported cases of corruption. Transparency and accountability to the public needs to be further strengthened.

The Government of Somaliland has attempted to ensure public access to basic services, e.g. education, health, water and sanitation. As the economy is weak, the tax base is low and Somaliland doesn’t have sufficient donor support due to lack of international recognition, service delivery is still low. There is a strong social support system based on clans and family links with the Somalis diaspora. This support system has narrowed the huge gap left by the government’s inability to provide essential services to the population. Promoting self sufficiency and employment for youth in the private sector may increase the provision and access to basic services by the citizens.

Many refugees and internally displaced persons have returned and resettled between 1991 and 2012. Some reasonable social reconstruction has been done. However, a reasonable number of people remain internally displaced, especially in Hargeisa, and a number of young people are increasingly migrating to urban areas voluntarily (especially Hargeisa) in search for better socio-economic opportunities. With the current low levels of service delivery and limited job opportunities, many of the new rural-urban migrants have become a category of urban poor. This is an issue that needs to be addressed since the majority of these urban poor are youth and heads of families.

The economy of Somaliland though experiencing growth is largely unsustainable. The major sectors that have experienced growth are telecommunications, transport, financial services, livestock export and, of recent, the construction sector. However, the economy still faces strong challenges that threaten its sustainability namely: a) an inability to enforce macroeconomic stability like exchange rate, inflation control; b)low capacity to control elicit trade, enforce standards, expand the tax base; c) limited technological transfer and very few big public-private investments; and d) an inability to generate enough employment opportunities for the labour force.

While Somaliland’s development is tangible on many fronts, statistical evidence places Somalia/Somaliland among the world’s least developed nations. Life expectancy is low and maternal mortality and other health indicators remain among the worst in the world.

Finally, it should be noted that in the whole Somali region, the social, economic and political dislocation caused by the war and the absence of secular state institutions has led to a revival of religious practice and the adoption of new Islamic creeds. However, up to now, in post-war Somaliland the influence has been limited to social programmes, such as in education and some changes in social and cultural practices (Bradbury, 2008:20).

CONTEXT OF THE PLACEMENT

NAFIS and its 20 member organisations have been implementing anti female genital mutilation and cutting (FGM/C) programmes since 2006. In support, the Government of Somaliland drafted a national policy for the abandonment of FGM/C and its interventional action plan in 2011. In August 2013, NAFIS conducted a situation analysis and the report indicated that 90 per cent of the girls predicted continuity of FGM/C but with no clear indication on their liking for it. Despite the above, FGM/C in Somaliland still prevails with a greater percentage of girls developing infections as a result of post cutting, a large psychological and psychosocial impact, intense traumatic experience at marital stage, and intro partum and post partum complications both to the mother and the fetus.

In 2014, a study was undertaken by NAFIS, with financial support from KNH (KinderNotHilfe) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), to assess the prevalence, perception and attitudes towards the future trends of FGM/C in six regions of Somaliland.

The assessment revealed a prevalence rate of 99.8 per cent, of which the 0.2 per cent uncut women were from urban areas, 100 per cent performed in the rural areas by traditional circumcisers and 96.7 per cent mostly between the ages of two and 14 years. The decision makers are the mother, grandmother and, occasionally, both the parents.

FGM/C is perceived by the community to be performed as a fulfilment of Islamic religious requirement, as found at 20 per cent, and cultural obligation at 66 per cent. It is also perceived as good practice that enhances marriage prospects, protects girls from rape and immoral behaviour and ‘increasesthe husband’s pleasure’, wanting to save their daughters and the family from insults and discrimination by not practising FGM/C. Family and the opinion leaders of the community, especially religious leaders, influence the need to perform FGM/C.

- The partner organisation - NAFIS

The Network Against FGM/C in Somaliland (NAFIS) is a non-political, non-governmental and humanitarian network. NAFIS was established in late 2006 in Hargeisa by a number of local NGOs working towards the eradication of FGM/C. Currently, it has a membership of 20 organisations operating in all the regions of Somaliland. As the only nationwide network of its kind, the main purpose of NAFIS is to combat all forms of FGM/C in Somaliland through coordination and networking, policy framework, research and documentation, peer and parental dialogues, support for FGM/C survivors, and capacity building for they key stakeholders and media awareness.

THE PROJECT

The one-year project entitled ‘Community Driven Sexual Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Prevention, Protection and Eradication Project’, funded by UNDP,will be implemented by NAFIS in all regions in Somaliland. This project aims to empower women and girls to enable them to speak out about SGBV. Women, men, religious leaders, traditional community leaders, policy makers, government and health professionals, the police and lawyers are the target groups of this project.

Progressio will assist the NAFIS Network by providing technical assistance through the placement of a Training and Advocacy Development Worker. The development worker(DW) will be based with the partner organisation and work alongside key staff in the organisation on a daily basis to build up their knowledge and capacity in facilitation and advocacy skills, strategy development and documentationsand s/he will provide on-going mentoring and on the job coaching for key staff onthe development of anadvocacy strategy.Through the transfer of skills and the gradual build up of experience, Progressio will enable the partner organisation to build up their skills and experience to a level where they can take over this role of ending violence against women and empowering their roles ondemocratisation in Somaliland.

NEED FOR THE PLACEMENT

Three to four community facilitators will be identified and hired by the NAFIS Network to facilitate the process forintergenerational dialogue meetings in five districts in Hargeisa, under the UNDP funded project, which will be implemented by March 2016.Before the actual conduct of intergenerational dialogue meetings, management and project staffand community facilitators need to be trained in community facilitation and mobilisation, documentation and reporting, analysis and review of data or information, and strategy development. Mentoring and coaching of community facilitators and staff will then follow until the end of the placement period.

Although NAFIS has implemented various FGM/C prevention activities since 2006 and a national policy for the abandonment of FGM/C has already been drafted with the Ministry of Religion and Ministry of Labour Social Affairs, the leaders and management staff of the organisation needtoreview what the organisation hasdone and come up with a comprehensive and realistic advocacy strategy with a clear action plan to improve existing initiatives or interventions and effectively prevent and/or stop FGM/C practices in Somaliland.

THE PLACEMENT

The DWwill designthe training modules and facilitate the training activities on community facilitation and mobilisation, documentation and reporting, analysis and review of data or information, and strategy development, in consultation with key management staff.S/he will also review existing advocacy strategies and activities undertaken by NAFIS on FGM/C in Somaliland and develop a comprehensive policy advocacy and lobbying strategy with a clear action plan and assist the Board of Directors and management staff in implementing agreed and important advocacy activities within the placement period.