February 2020

Somali women have always played an integral part in the economic and trade development of the country. Following the collapse of the central state, the majority of women became the breadwinners for their families through business. The Somali Federal Government must ensure the enforcement of laws and policies enabling women’s equal participation in the economy and the business development of the country through the establishment of an inter-agency platform for inclusive business in Somalia.

The key elements of effective citizen engagement are civic education, institutional capacity, enabling environment and agreed framework for dialogue and a link – whether it is an established institution or some other form of formal liaison between the citizens and their local government. SIDRA conducted this study to seek understanding of the level of citizen engagement in Puntland local governance and the intertwined role and effects of decentralization, democratization and citizen engagement.

Radicalisation is undermining Somalia’s peace, stability and development prospects. Religious extremism in the country has also become a security concern for the region and the world. Young, uneducated Somalis and their well-educated diaspora peers who grew up in affluence in the West have become foot soldiers and suicide bombers for Somalia’s extremist insurgency Al- Shabaab. This paper is informed by qualitative research in the form of interviews with key informants. In addition, desk research was conducted to complement the primary sources. In each of the seven major Somali cities, 10 key informant interviews and a single focus group discussion were conducted, producing a total data set comprising 70 individual interviews and seven focus group discussions. All respondents were asked to discuss the root causes of youth radicalisation in Somalia and suggest potential solutions.