Identifying and addressing the challenges
This study offers an in-depth qualitative examination of women’s roles in peacebuilding, reconciliation, conflict prevention, and decision-making in post-war Galmudug, situating these dynamics within the broader structural and institutional environments that shape women's participation in Somalia.
Produced as part of the Heritage Institute for Policy Studies’ Talo Wadaag II Program, the research employs participatory action methods, focus group discussions, and interviews with women from civil society to analyse the political, cultural, and legal constraints that continue to limit women’s engagement in formal governance and peace processes.
By positioning women’s participation as both a justice and a security imperative, the paper contributes to an emerging evidence base on gender-responsive peacebuilding in Somalia and proposes considerations for policymakers and practitioners seeking to design more inclusive, context-appropriate reconciliation and state-building processes in Galmudug and comparable fragile settings.