From creating spaces for dialogue to developing the next generation of women leaders, Siraad Initiative is building a stronger and more inclusive future for Somaliland.
In every society, meaningful progress begins when people are given the confidence, knowledge and opportunity to participate in shaping their own future. In Somaliland, one organization has been working to create those opportunities for women and girls: Siraad Initiative.
Siraad is a women-led initiative dedicated to empowering, promoting and inspiring Somali women and girls through academic dialogue, discussions, mentorship and community engagement. Established in Hargeisa, Siraad has developed a platform where women can exchange ideas, build knowledge, discuss important social issues and strengthen their role in society.
Creating Space for Women’s Voices
For Siraad, empowerment is not simply about holding events. It is about creating spaces where women and girls can speak, learn, connect and see themselves as contributors to the future of their communities.
Since its official launch in Hargeisa in March 2020, the initiative has focused on encouraging young women to develop their careers, strengthening their knowledge and promoting meaningful conversations around issues affecting women and girls.
Its work reflects an understanding that leadership is developed through exposure, education, mentorship and opportunity.
That approach has allowed Siraad to bring together young women, professionals, activists, academics and community leaders around issues that matter to Somaliland’s development.
From Dialogue to Action
One of Siraad’s defining strengths is its ability to turn conversations into practical engagement.
Its activities have included discussions around women’s leadership and political participation, digital safety, good governance, ethical leadership and community awareness.
In 2025, Siraad partnered with the ISIR Institute for a panel discussion examining women’s participation in parliamentary politics in Somaliland. The event brought together experienced and emerging women leaders, activists and community members to discuss both progress and continuing challenges.
More recently, Siraad has also been involved in initiatives focused on ethical leadership, good governance and meaningful participation of women and young people in decision-making. Publicly available information shows the organization conducting activities beyond Hargeisa, including a workshop in Borama.
This expansion illustrates an important dimension of Siraad’s work: empowering women and young people is not a conversation limited to one city. It is part of a wider effort to strengthen communities across Somaliland.
Building Women’s Leadership
Leadership opportunities for women are at the heart of Siraad’s mission.
In March 2026, Siraad collaborated with the Somaliland Good Governance Commission and EUCAP Somalia’s Somaliland field office for an International Women’s Day event in Hargeisa that recognized women serving in government and law enforcement.
The event brought together women from government institutions, law enforcement, civil society and women’s organizations, while also creating space for discussion about women’s leadership and participation in public decision-making.
For a new generation of Somaliland women, visibility matters.
Seeing women serving in public institutions, leading organizations, contributing to policy discussions and taking responsibility in their communities can help transform the idea of what leadership looks like. Siraad’s work contributes to creating that visibility.
Empowerment Through Knowledge
Siraad’s philosophy is rooted in the belief that knowledge creates opportunity.
Through academic dialogues, workshops, discussions and mentoring, the organization seeks to equip women and girls with knowledge and confidence that can support their education, careers and participation in society. Its early mission specifically highlighted career development and mentorship for young girls.
That focus is particularly significant in a society where young women represent an important part of the next generation of professionals, entrepreneurs, public servants and community leaders.
Rather than speaking about young women only as beneficiaries, Siraad creates platforms where they can become participants, contributors and future leaders.
A Record of Community Engagement
Siraad’s work has also extended into community awareness and practical support.
During the COVID-19 period, research documenting civic responses in Somaliland highlighted Siraad’s efforts to reach women in marketplaces with protective equipment and information at a time when misinformation and unequal access to resources presented significant challenges.
More recently, Siraad participated in a 2024 awareness campaign organized by CARE around locally sourced school meals. The campaign reached primary schools across Maroodi-Jeex and involved engagement with school communities around nutrition, attendance, academic performance and sustainability.
These activities demonstrate the breadth of Siraad’s approach: empowerment is connected to education, health, governance, leadership, digital safety and community development.
Inspiring the Next Generation
Perhaps Siraad’s most important contribution is the culture it is helping create.
A young woman who enters a Siraad discussion does not simply attend an event. She encounters other women with ideas, ambitions and experiences. She hears from professionals and leaders. She gets an opportunity to ask questions, build networks and imagine new possibilities for herself.
That is how leadership pipelines begin.
Somaliland’s future will depend on how effectively its institutions and communities can harness the talents of its entire population. Siraad Initiative is contributing to that process by investing in women and girls and creating platforms for their voices to be heard.
A Growing Platform for Change
Siraad Initiative represents an important model of locally driven social development: identify barriers, create space for dialogue, connect people with knowledge and turn discussion into action.
Its journey from a women-led initiative focused on empowerment and academic dialogue to a platform engaging with leadership, governance, digital safety, public service and community awareness demonstrates the potential of locally rooted organizations to influence broader social development.
The future of Somaliland will be shaped by the people who are given the opportunity to participate in it.
And through its work with women and girls, Siraad Initiative is helping ensure that more women have that opportunity.
Siraad Initiative — empowering women, developing leaders and creating opportunities for a stronger tomorrow.
