Buroa, Somaliland, December 22, 2007 (SL Times) – A seminar which went on for two days in Buroa, the administrative capital of Togdheer region, and brought together 30 women from the Sanag and Togdheer region to discuss the role of women in the political arena in Somaliland has concluded.

The seminar was conducted jointly by Negaad and HBF, the largest women's organisations in Somaliland, and provided a platform for prospective political candidates from the three Somaliland parties to discuss issues that they will face in the upcoming elections, issues which included but were not limited to gender under-representation, education and the role of women in Somaliland's political landscape.

Nimo Ismail Ibrahim who is the head of the Negaad Development programme gave a talk at the end of the seminar in which she encouraged the participants to take a more active role in the political arena in Somaliland and to learn from past events, so that women, who are the majority in Somaliland should have a bigger role in the development of the country.

One of the main outcomes of the meeting was the proposal to set up a network for women candidates from all three parties hoping to take part in the upcoming local elections and then to use this platform for future contests for parliamentary and executive offices.

Parts of this report was contributed by Yusuf Ibrahim Warsame in Buroa.

Source: Somaliland Times