Somalia
After years of conflict, Somalis are rebuilding their country and their livelihoods. We focus on health and women's economic empowerment
- Our office: Hargeisa
- Our areas of focus: Security and justice, climate change, mis- and disinformation, gender and peacebuilding
- Our partners:European Union, International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
About our work
In Somalia, BBC Media Action is committed to strengthening the media and promoting rights and opportunities for women across the country.
Our work in Somalia includes a peacebuilding project, funded by the European Union, in which we are working with local media partners to reach young people across the country, supporting them to understand their rights and inspiring them to resolve conflicts peacefully while getting involved in their communities and local decision-making.
We are also working with local media partners and training and mentoring local journalists in covering security and justice issues, including a focus on sexual- and gender-based violence and other issues impacting women and girls.
Our previous work in Somalia has included building resilience to mis- and dis-information, supporting female journalists across the country, and creating and distributing content that challenges harmful beliefs and norms. These include Lifeline media programming to support communities affected by drought and floods; our response to the COVID-19 pandemic; radio shows challenging negative attitudes towards polio vaccination; a nationwide drama to support women’s economic empowerment, and dramas to inspire the country’s youth to overcome obstacles to employment.
Latest news from Somalia
Our insight and impact
Use our research library
Lifeline - a radio show challenging norms around FGM in Somalia
Our qualitative research informed the development of Tusmada Nolosha (Lifeline) - with influencers, mothers and fathers giving feedback on how they felt it had addressed the topic of FGM. Read our research summary.
Supporting Somali women towards economic empowerment and transformation
This study found that the radio content and local discussions are helping Somali women to better participate in the informal and formal business sector. Listeners were engaged with the programmes and saw them as important and educational and they also encouraged men to support their wives in business.
How media and communication are supporting Somalis through the pandemic
This learning brief highlights our research and project learning on producing media output around COVID-19. Identifying misinformation and tackling stigma to communicate important information related to COVID-19.
How research informed our work to stop COVID-19 in Somalia
Our in-depth research informed the production of creative media to encourage preventative behaviours and slow the virus's spread.
