My name is Ilwad Elman and I live and work in Mogadishu, Somalia. A country recently ranked as the second worst place in the world to be a woman. Acts of sexual violence usually go unpunished and rapists are rarely tried or convicted, and even where justice is initiated, the victims are not provided any form of protection, compensation or recourse. Victims are treated like criminals and those who dare seek justice, are often retaliated against in some cases perpetrators are even forced to marry their victims.
Mentioning the word rape or providing services to survivors was so highly stigmatised; the only way to respond to the female suffering was through word of mouth via the grass root, 'underground' network of support Sister Somalia. It was created by survivors who were supported after their trauma. The survivors referred other women who were raped months before but until then were too afraid to seek aid and others within hours of an attack began coming forward.
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