Future+of+the+Issue+injustice

__** Somalia **__

Perhaps the most beneficial solution for women in Somalia would be a stable government. Without one, not only are laws not being made to help them, but they are not represented and getting their voices heard. It is the government’s duty to stop rape, sexual violence, and assault against women, but there is not much of a central government to begin with.

Second, education would be very valuable to the Somalia women. Growing up in a close-knit community, they are taught to value religion, even when it causes self-harm. After all, Feminine Genital Mutilation is viewed as a religious obligation, and without it, a girl is considered to have loose morals. Plus, having grown up this way, they do not know that abuse and violence does not have to be a way of life. In an interview, women’s rights activist Zam Zam Adbullahi stated that most women don’t know what is being done to them is wrong. By giving them access to an education, one is allowing them to realize their rights, and that by standing up for them does not mean abandoning their culture and religion.

Until a stable government is accomplished, programs that have attempted to inform the country on the practice should persist. Funding should be awarded to these groups, which include the Somali Women’s Democratic Organization (SWDO), and UNICEF. They have produced information packets and audio-visuals targeted not only to young girls but to religious leaders and medical personnel as well. The result was that some leaders began to tell their believers that FGM was a cultural, not a religious practice. The United States has previously given money to this cause, and with it UNICEF has organized meetings and discussions, as well as drama and traditional techniques. The continuation of these organizations is imperative, as women need someone to fight for their cause since their government can’t. This can be done by donating money. By funding these groups, they can maintain their teaching of the effects of FGM to Somalia’s leaders.


 * __ Cape Verde __**

There is a brighter future for those who live in Cape Verde. Cape Verde and CEDAW Convention is making laws to prohibit discrimination against women. The government is trying to treat everyone as a whole by giving equal punishments for both men and women. There is a law where equal punishment in traffic will be made for both men and women. Overall, even though women's rights are more developed here than in Somalia, Cape Verde is still continuing to make strides.

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