Baidoa, South West State–July 9, 2025— Amid rising threats to press freedom and the safety of media professionals, the Somali Media Women Association (SOMWA) has completed a vital training session on physical and online safety for 25 courageous female journalists from the region. The training, held in Baidoa—the administrative capital of South West State (SWS)—comes at a critical time when journalists, especially women, face escalating risks on the frontlines of reporting.
Baidoa, a strategic hub for humanitarian response and political activity, has become increasingly perilous for journalists due to ongoing extremist activity and targeted attacks on the media. Those reporting on governance, human rights, and security are especially vulnerable to surveillance, intimidation by armed groups, physical assault, and harassment at checkpoints.
For female journalists, the dangers are compounded by gender-specific threats. Many endure relentless online harassment, gender-based disinformation, doxxing, and even social exclusion. These challenges have led to self-censorship and forced many women to leave the profession entirely, with little to no institutional support or trauma-informed care available.
Opening the training, SOMWA Executive Director Maryan Seylac highlighted the alarming increase in violations targeting women in media this year. “The data is deeply disturbing,” she said. “The physical and digital threats facing women journalists are becoming more frequent and more aggressive. Without urgent protections and systemic change, women’s voices will be silenced.”
Seylac announced the release of a comprehensive safety manual tailored specifically for Somali women journalists. Developed by SOMWA in partnership with the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF), the manual addresses both field-based risks—such as crossfire, surveillance, and checkpoints—and online threats like cyber harassment, doxxing, and digital security breaches.
“This manual is a game changer,” Seylac stated. “Every female journalist in Somalia should have it.”
The training focused on practical tools and knowledge to help participants protect themselves in volatile environments and hostile digital spaces. It also offered a rare space for women journalists to share experiences, seek solidarity, and learn trauma-informed strategies for coping with the toll of their work.
During the closing event, Seylac emphasised the disproportionate nature of the threats faced by women in the media. “In addition to physical danger, online gender-based violence—including threats of sexual violence—is driving women out of journalism. The social stigma, the lack of support, and the fear are silencing critical voices.”
Closing the training, Mohamed Ibrahim Bilal, Minister of Information and Culture for SWS, responded to calls for legislative reforms aimed at protecting female journalists. He pledged to initiate work on safety legislation and encouraged female journalists to take active roles in advancing women’s political participation.
Participants expressed gratitude for the training, calling it “life-changing” and “a critical step toward reclaiming safety and dignity” in their profession. Many emphasised the need to create more such initiatives, especially in underserved and high-risk areas.
This timely and impactful training was made possible with support from the United Nations Transition Mission in Somalia (@UNTMIS_).
As the threats to press freedom persist, SOMWA continues to lead the charge in defending women’s rights in the media and ensuring that female journalists—despite the odds—can continue to speak truth to power.
