Alternative dispute resolution on the rights of women in Garowe, Somalia.

Abstract

Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) platforms exist in Somalia, but most women are not aware of this structure and therefore perceive that violations against them are culturally and legally justified. Even though ADR is already being used by the majority in Somalia to resolve conflict in their communities and dispense justice, the system lacks access to fair and equitable justice system and is one of the most pressing problems in addressing the right of women in the country. The study sought to investigate the effect of ADR on the rights of women in Garowe, Somalia. Specifically, it evaluated the application of the ADR system in addressing the rights of women in Garowe, Somalia, explored on the strategies that have been applied to improve use of ADR in resolving issues affecting the rights of women in Garowe, Somalia and assessed the key challenges to the application of ADR in addressing the human rights issues affecting women in Garowe, Somalia. It was guided by theories of conflict resolution and conflict transformation. This study was conducted in Somalia, Garowe district, and it focused on the role of Alternative Dispute Resolution in solving conflicts regarding women in relation to their socio-economic rights. The target was a total population of 57,801 residents of Garowe district, with a focus on 26,357 men and women residing in Garowe, mainly of ages between 15 and 55 years. Purposive and stratified random sampling were used to examine a sample of 204 respondents. It targeted community workers, village elders, and male and female employees of government and non-government agencies dealing with the rights of women in Somalia. Questionnaires and interviews were used as the main tools of data collection where a pilot study was conducted on 20 respondents from Arrolei district to ensure the reliability of the instruments. Cronbach Alpha test was used to test the reliability of the research instruments. Quantitative data collected was analyzed using SPSS 20 and qualitative data analyzed in thematic discussions. Results of the study revealed that 80.3 percentage of women in Somalia do not understand their rights as women with only 68 percentage of them aware of the ADR system. Results further revealed that only 19.2 percentage of women in Somalia have used the ADR system and only 21.2 percentage of them can trust the ADR system. 90.7 percentage of the respondents indicated that the ADR system is faced by numerous challenges where 91.2 percentage indicated that all cases that have gone through the system did not reach an agreement. Results therefore called for government, non-governmental organizations and local communities to popularize the ADR system in Somalia and regularize its application to make it more effective. The research therefore recommends research on cultural effects the rights of women in Somalia to address the challenges facing the application and use of the ADR system in the country. This study will contribute to the understanding of the effects ADR has and how the community suffer the absence of women’s rights.