Women’s equal participation in local governments is critical for creating gender -sensitive policies and planning, and for promoting sustainable development. Unfortunately, women are underrepresented in the local governments of Somalia, due to deep-rooted traditional beliefs, and lack of awareness about the importance of women's participation in local governments. Therefore, while using the skills and knowledge I have gained from this training, I am willing to promote women's participation in the local government of Garowe, Somalia. I will conduct advocacy campaigns &and capacity -building trainings for Llocal government core staff, Ttraditional leaders, and Wwomen's groups. The purpose of these campaigns and trainings will be to strengthen the local Ggovernment core staff's capacity on Ggender R-responsive Pplanning in the local government, to eliminate erroneous perceptions from the traditional leaders towards women's participation in local governments, and to build the skills and the capacity of women's groups on Ggender -responsive local governance and Wwomen's rights.
To implement these activities, I need financial and logistical support, which will be provided by Garowe's local government.

I am expecting to gain from this training the following knowledge and skills:

• To understand the benefits of Ggender R-responsive local governance.
• To understand how Ggender -responsive budgeting and planning can be adopted by the local Ggovernment .
• To gain the leadership, social and advocacy skills to advocate the incorporating gender responsiveness in local governments.

This knowledge and these skills will give me the ability to conduct capacity -building trainings and advocacy campaigns for local government core staff , local councilors, and the prominent traditional leaders in order to change their attitudes and perception towards women's participation in local governance. and to build their knowledge and skills on Ggender -responsive local governance.
This will really be a productive idea, because the traditional leaders are the ones responsible for nominating the local councilors. aAlso, the local government officials and the local councilors are the ones responsible for the local government activity planning and budgeting. Thus, changing their attitudes and perceptions towards women's participation in local government can really promote women's involvement in the local government of Garowe, Somalia.

I am now working as a Gender Equality Officer in Garowthe Somalia local government of Garowe, Somalia. My duty is improving women's participation in the decision -making and resource distribution of the local government. Hence, considering my position in the local government while using the skills and knowledge I have gained from this course, it will be easy for me to advocate Wfor women's rights, and to participate in the leadership and decision -making of Garowe's local government, and conduct capacity -building trainings and advocacy campaigns to change the attitude and behaviors towards women's participation in local government.
In addition, I have a full support from the Garowe's local government, which itose mission is promoting Ggender equality in the local government,. and Thits was the reason that I have been recruited as Gender eEquality Officer in the local government.


I have an outstanding experience in the field of Ggender equality in local governance, and I have been working as a gGender eEquality oOfficer in Garowe's local government for the last six months. Besides that, I have worked asin Ggender and Wwomen's involvement in local governance as a Project Manager for the United nNations Joint Program on Local Governance and Decentralized Service Delivery (JPLG) between March 2010- and March 2012.
I have a TOT certificate in Ggender and women's involvement in local governance from UNHABITAT, and I was prepared to deliver training on that subject.