“Legislation drafted by parliamentarians in Somalia risks legitimizing child marriage, among other alarming practices,
and must be prevented from passing into law. Provisions of the Sexual Intercourse Related Crimes Law constitute serious
breaches of international human rights norms and standards.
This new draft legislation would represent a serious step backwards for the rights of victims of sexual violence in
Somalia, in particular women and girls. It would also send a worrying signal to other States in the region.
I strongly urge the Somali authorities to swiftly adopt the 2018 Sexual Offenses Bill, unanimously endorsed by the
Council of Ministers, and put in place a comprehensive strategy and effective legislation to eliminate practices and
harmful gender stereotypes that have a disproportionate negative impact on women and girls.”