By Asha Elmi - Reporter
SOMALIA, Aug. 14, 2026 – Somalia’s National Women’s Council has called on election authorities to ensure women receive their guaranteed 30% representation as the country moves forward with one-person, one-vote elections.
The council’s chairwoman, Senator Naeema Ibrahim Yusuf, and Secretary-General Amina Keyf Ahmed Samatar made the appeal during a visit to the national election commission on Thursday, where they met its chairman and deputy chairman.
Yusuf said political organisations submitting candidate lists should be required to demonstrate that women are represented in accordance with the 30% quota.
She said women play a leading role in Somalia’s education, security and broader social development, arguing that greater female participation in decision-making would contribute to stronger governance and accountability.
“Thirty percent is strongly emphasised when we talk about the women’s quota, but its implementation does not appear to be where it should be,” Yusuf said.
Samatar said safeguarding women’s political representation was a key priority for the council, particularly as Somalia’s electoral process advances across different regions.
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She said elections in South West State and Galmudug had largely been completed, with Hirshabelle and Banadir expected to be among the next areas of focus.
The council called for closer cooperation with election authorities to ensure Somali women receive their constitutionally guaranteed share of political representation.
The chairman of the national election commission, Abdulkarim Ahmed Hassan, and his deputy, Sadaq Abshir, pledged to uphold the women’s quota in accordance with Somalia’s constitution during the ongoing elections.
Abshir said women were a fundamental part of Somali society and were playing an increasingly important role in education, employment and public institutions.
Election commission officials also acknowledged longstanding concerns over women’s limited participation in political decision-making and traditional leadership structures.
The meeting comes as Somalia expands its one-person, one-vote electoral system, moving away from elements of the indirect electoral model used in previous election cycles.