Political settlement in Somaliland, a gendered perspective 2015-2017

Qualitative dataset consisting of interview transcripts, including individual key informant interviews and group interviews conducted in the six regions of Somaliland. The project aimed to develop a gender-aware analysis of the political settlement in Somaliland, before exploring ways in which policy and interventions could contribute to more effective and equitable development and increased stability as well as increasing women's political participation. This included an analysis of how gender identities are perceived, and how they influence socio-political participation and VAWG and how this has contributed to, or undermined a stable, inclusive post-conflict political settlement. That gender-aware analysis will then be used to examine how specific development interventions have interacted with and influenced the settlement, and to assess measures that might improve their effectiveness. It focused specifically on institutions, as politics and the overall political settlement cannot be separated from the performance and functioning of institutions, which are also gendered. By basing politics at the core of institutional power analysis, the political settlement lens offers the potential for a more nuanced view of institutional arrangements, thus permitting better-informed choices between different types of development interventions.Recent research recognises the importance of political settlements -ongoing, adaptable political processes- in determining the equitability of development and the level of stability in societies. However, little research on political settlements analyses the different roles that women and men play in determining a given settlement. Political settlements themselves frequently and systemically exclude women, despite the fact that they are the majority in post-conflict situations, and high levels of gender inequality and violence against women and girls (VAWG) make local instability more likely. It is thus critical that policy makers understand both specific settlements and their gender dimensions, so that development interventions can be designed in a way that works within and on them to enhance equitable and consequently more sustainable development. This would reduce the risks and impact of violence and instability, increasing the effectiveness of interventions in fragile states. This project focuses on Somaliland as an excellent case for analysis of power relationships between formal and informal actors in a relatively stable environment, but with strong applicability across a wider area: the Somali Horn of Africa, and with insights that are also useful elsewhere. A post-conflict territory, Somaliland's political settlement has been characterised by 23 years of state building. Although it has enjoyed sustained peace since 1997 and held a series of popular elections, the settlement remains unresolved. Somali society is based on a patriarchal system that largely excludes women from formal political decision-making. As in many post-colonial societies, a clan-based structure coexists and is diversely incorporated into state building and politics. This dual governance system retains kinship structures on the one hand, while adopting nation-state systems on the other. Importantly, research indicates that, while women's political marginalisation reflects this patriarchal system, it has also worsened as a result of conflict and been slow to improve in the period following it. In addition, conflict has exacerbated VAWG. Gender inequality and violence form a barrier to the effectiveness of interventions promoting inclusive development: as well as critical problems in their own right, they contribute to long-term fragility and undermine sustainable development. Analysis is therefore needed as to whether and in what ways gender identities (masculinities and femininities) affect socio-political participation and VAWG in contemporary Somali society. This is to ensure that the development of policies (national or international) and other measures aimed at tackling gender inequality and the elimination of VAWG are appropriately adjusted to ensure successful implementation.