Who We Are?
About Us
The Voice of Somaliland minority women organization acronym as (VOSOMWO) was officially launched n 20th august 2004 in Hargeisa, the capital city of Somaliland, the founders are some minority women activists and human right defenders from the three outcast minority communities ( Named Goboye, Tumals and Yibirs) and other well-wishers from the majority clans.
VOSOMWO is a non-governmental and non profit and voluntary organization. Working in Human rights, environmental protection and community development VOSOMWO is officially registered at the Somaliland’s Ministry of Planning and coordination, the office of the attorney general of Somaliland, and has institutional structure that illustrates various job organs of well-defined and itemized organizational management spectrum.
VOSOMWO struggles to ensure minority group’s empowerment socially, economically and educationally and women empowerment so as to participate political standard, although it constantly faced with a lot of challenges on behalf of the promotion and protection of minority rights as well as many financial constraints, but ironically VOSOMWO played vital role on supporting the minority communities specially victimized women and child in Somaliland regions.
VOSOMWO is created for human rights promotion and environmental protection community development, considering the reality of the outcast minorities communities are believed descendants of the above indigenous groups that are locally known as the “Gaboye, Yibirs and Tumals” which implies a concept of “inferior people”, while they are described with a social “stigma” as “Untouchables” which defines them as “Sub humans”, in many parts of Somaliland.
Currently they are socially segregated, culturally marginalized and economically excluded as denies of their overall human rights. Thus, the three outcast minority groups are the poorest of the poor in Somaliland, as they are excluded from all public and political participation, and due to having no access to the socio-economic development and all affairs of their country.
VOSOMWO is 100% women owned organization for the environmental protection and community so all major and leadership decision-making positions are filled by women. VOSOMWO for all times is working for ensuring the protection and promotion of human rights for all and with its center of attention in minority group’s empowerment socially, economically, and politically.
Our Purpose
VOSOMWO is principally established for the promotion and protection of human rights and focus on deep-rooted discrimination against the women from the outcast minority social groups, and the environmental protection and community development in all regions of Somaliland. The naissance of VOSOMWO is intended for the human rights support for the needy minority women and children in developmental areas of rights, health, education, Sports, culture, research and documentations, in the course of Mass media, publications, are all priority areas of interventions designed for Human right advocacy in multidisciplinary way at all levels of social lives.
Our Goal
The promotion and protection of women human rights, elimination of Traditional based social discriminations, GBV and other forms of violence against women, environmental protection and community development as well as the voice of minority women should be heard publicly for their full social and political participation and equal rights at all levels
Our Vision
VOSOMWO is seen as human right voluntary organization working to realize that the minority People enjoying with the respect and dignity they deserve in their communities for equal rights, opportunities.
Especially minority women and children enjoying an ideal social justice and living better life than today.
The vision of the Organization is to see the minority community (Gaboye, Tumals and Yibers) in Somaliland empowered and have an improved quality of life and their basic constitutional rights and fundamental freedoms.
Our Mission
VOSOMWO’s mission shall be to empower and improve the welfare of the minority women and children in Somaliland especially. VOSOMWO’s mission is to Improve the Lives of minority communities through Human rights advocacy campaigns, Education, skill training, income generation, health, Sports and culture, Research and development, Mass media, publications, and film programs production and Participation at all levels.
VOSOMWO mission statement targeted to positively change the social negative attitudes and cultural-based discriminations of Somaliland’s communities hosting the minority communities through empowering of women from minority communities through education, skill training, advocacy, community awareness-raising for the full social participation, and promotion of equal rights and access for women from the minority communities in this country.
VOSOMWO service provision reaches and benefits for all the members from three outcast minority communities
the Goboye, Tumals, and Yibirs in all six regions of Somaliland.