Event Summary
The Somali National Women Organization (SNWO) faces severe operational challenges following its forced eviction from Guriga Hooyooyinka (House of Somali Women) in Mogadishu on 9 February 2025, which had long served as its central hub for women’s civic engagement, leadership, and programming. Without access to this space, SNWO is struggling to maintain its activities, leadership continuity, and institutional stability. The disruption has had immediate and ongoing consequences for women-led civic initiatives across Somalia.
This crisis began on 6 January 2025, when the Prime Minister ordered SNWO to vacate the premises to make way for the Ministry of Family Affairs. On 9 February 2025, police forcibly seized the compound, with reports of arrests, intimidation, and violence against women leaders. SNWO Chairperson Mama Batulo reported being threatened and coerced into signing documents under duress. In response, SNWO issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development, accusing Minister Bashir Goobe of abusing government authority to seize the property. The incident signals a persistent threat to women’s civic participation and institutional resilience, demonstrating a lack of respect for civic actors and their spaces. It also violates access to sustainable resources, as SNWO has lost not only its physical office but also the networks and legitimacy tied to that location. The manner of eviction, marked by intimidation and disregard for dignity, has further damaged SNWO’s public image and weakened trust in state-civil society relations. Without intervention or mediation, the consequences may extend further, undermining women’s leadership and advocacy efforts nationwide and weakening the enabling environment for civil society in Somalia.