Somalia: An Assessment of SWDO (Somalia Women's Democratic Organization), and of the Social and Economic Status of Women in the Lower Shebelle

摘要

The Somali Women's Democratic Organization (SWDO) asked USAID/Somalia to provide a team to initiate a project directed at improving its management capabilities and improving social and economic conditions of rural women in the Lower Shabelle Region of Somalia. A three-person team spent three weeks in Somalia assessing the organization of SWDO, its current activities in Lower Shabelle, and the economic activities of rural and urban women. The research suggests that it is feasible and highly desirable to provide technical assistance to SWDO as a mechanism for impacting on and assisting Somali women to improve their economic well-being. Of equal importance is to devise and target strategies to include women in the mainstream of development activities (viz., development projects concerned with infrastructure, agriculture, health, and water management).