By - Reporter
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MOGADISHU, 23 October 2026 Somali women scholars have called for a continuing national awareness programme on the pillars of nation-building at the close of a two-day conference in Mogadishu.
Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre attended the closing session and pledged his government would play a visible role in developing women scholars as leaders.
The conference, held on 21 and 22 October in Mogadishu under the theme “building the nation and its pillars, from awareness to empowerment and action”, was organised by the Association of Somali Women Scholars.
It brought together academics, researchers, teachers, community leaders and women’s representatives from different regions of Somalia. Representatives of the ministries of Women, Education, Labour and Social Affairs, and Youth also took part, along with universities and other institutions. The Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs supported the event, according to the closing statement.
Hamza praised the women scholars and said women are the backbone of Somali society, with a major role in rebuilding it and in education and raising children, according to a statement from the prime minister’s office.
“Somali women served our country through the difficult times it has been through, they played a visible role in building the statehood we have today, and they produced leaders who played a prominent role in Somali statehood. We commend Somali mothers for the hardships they have endured,” he said, according to the statement.
He said the collapse of the state had damaged Somali culture and religion and left people vulnerable to hardship, allowing extremist ideas rooted in what he called Khawarij ideology, and the justification of bloodshed, to reach the country, the statement said.
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He urged women scholars to take a larger part in building the state and improving society’s morals and beliefs. His office gave no details of what support the government would provide.
The conference said its main message was that a nation is built on awareness, which must be grounded in sound thinking, morals and planning, with individuals and society sharing responsibility.
It said women are a central pillar of nation-building because they make up half of society and raise the other half, and that their presence in learning and Islamic upbringing needs to be strengthened. The family is the foundation of society, it said.
The conference said efforts should move beyond awareness-raising to empowerment, work and action, and called for Islamic and national values to be protected.
Its recommendations included an ongoing awareness programme on the pillars of nation-building, support for awareness campaigners working in education, reform and community development, and support and follow-up for women scholars involved in religious outreach.
It also called for closer cooperation among institutions and organisations working on religious outreach, education and family, a strong network of researchers, and a strategic programme to advance these goals nationally.