Baraarug Podcast | Episode: Access to Reproductive Health for Somali Women

by: Baraarug Campaign | 17 June 2025 10:10

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Baraarug Podcast | Episode: Access to Reproductive Health for Somali Women

MOGADISHU, Somalia (Baraarug) - Welcome to the Baraarug Podcast – a Somali-language podcast produced by the Baraarug team, focusing on the rights and voices of women, youth, and civic groups in Somalia.

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MOGADISHU, Somalia (Baraarug) - Welcome to the Baraarug Podcast – a Somali-language podcast produced by the Baraarug team, focusing on the rights and voices of women, youth, and civic groups in Somalia.

Access to reproductive health in Somalia is critically low due to a combination of factors, including decades of conflict that have destroyed health infrastructure, chronic underfunding of public health services, and limited availability of trained medical professionals, especially in rural and displacement settings.

Deep-rooted cultural taboos surrounding reproductive health and a lack of public awareness further hinder access, particularly for women and girls. In many areas, healthcare facilities are either non-existent or poorly equipped, and the cost of private care is unaffordable for most families.

As a result, essential services such as maternal care, family planning, and treatment for complications from harmful practices like FGM remain out of reach for the majority of Somali women.

As of the most recent estimates, approximately 98% of Somali women and girls aged 15 to 49 have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM), making Somalia one of the countries with the highest prevalence of FGM in the world.

In this episode, Baraarug Podcast producer Anfa Aden explores the urgent and often overlooked issue of reproductive health access for Somali women.

Speaking with Dr. Amina Barow, a young gynecologist based in Mogadishu, and women living in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, the episode sheds light on the serious challenges facing women across the country.

Dr. Amina Barow, in her hospital in Mogadishu, treats extreme cases involving women and children, many of whom are survivors of female genital mutilation (FGM) and other reproductive health complications.

Tune in to hear powerful testimonies, expert insights, and a call for action to protect the health, rights, and dignity of women in Somalia.

#Baraarug #FGM #WomensHealth #SomaliWomen #ReproductiveRights