Taako Man Posted March 8, 2007 UN highlights Somali women's suffering The UN children's fund (UNICEF) highlighted the plight of the women and girl in the war ravaged Somalia, urging international efforts to improve their life, when the world is marking the International Women's Day on Thursday. Somalia has one of the highest prevalence rates of female genital mutilation/cutting in the world, with more than 98 percent of Somali girls between the ages of 7 to 12 being cut, said UNICEF Somalia Representative Christian Balslev-Olesen in a statement. Balslev-Olesen said Somalia's maternal mortality, which is amongst the highest in the world -- 1,013 per 100,000 live births, is among the challenges that UNICEF and its partners face in Somalia. "This rate and an average number of 7 births per woman in her lifetime translates into a lifetime chance of 1 in 15 for a Somali woman to die as a result of pregnancy and childbirth complications, " the statement said. It said complications such as excessive bleeding, prolonged obstructed labors and infections are the major causes of death at childbirth. "There is need to invest in setting up of infrastructure for provision of vital services to improve the livelihoods of women in Somalia. This would provide them with the necessary foundation to ensure they can give input for sustainable development of their communities," she said. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
