The harassment of Somali women on the beach: "It's a disgrace to the family. If they want to swim, they should do so in private."

Not everyone is having a good time at Lido Beach, one of the main attractions of Mogadishu, Somalia 's coastal capital. At Lido, where hundreds of people gather on weekends and holidays to enjoy a swim, women face serious problems, such as harassment by some of the young men. Among the women interviewed for this report, there is growing concern about the continued abuse and mistreatment suffered by girls , young women, and adults while in the water.

Faadumo Ahmed, one of the women who enjoys swimming, says she often feels unsafe when she goes to the beach. “I come here to swim and relax, but I never feel free. Young men deliberately approach us, sometimes even touching us inappropriately. It's a recurring problem, and there's no one to protect us,” she says.

When women swim off the Somali coast, they wear full Islamic attire: a veil covering their hair and a long, floor-length robe. This dress can make swimming difficult and sometimes even dangerous, as long clothing and headscarves get tangled in the waves.

Mahad Muse, a young man who frequently visits Lido Beach, says he always remains vigilant when accompanying his sisters. “I’m not going swimming today. I came with my three sisters and decided to stand guard. Some boys show no respect: they drag women into the water or even try to take off their clothes. Just a few days ago, I witnessed an incident where a young woman was harassed and had her clothes ripped in the middle of the sea. It was very disturbing,” Muse recounts.

I'm not going swimming today. I came with my three sisters and decided to stand guard. Some kids have no respect.

Mahad Muse, young Somali

He believes the solution is to deploy security forces on the beach and enforce strict laws against violators. But one of the reasons these incidents continue to occur is the lack of law enforcement or the Coast Guard monitoring the beach. Some believe strict regulations are necessary to combat sexual harassment.

Somali police spokesperson Abdifitah Adan Hassan explains that, in response to women's complaints, there are plans to demarcate the beaches and divide them into two sections, so that women can enjoy the sea on equal terms with men, especially during bathing hours. The spokesperson adds that it is important for women to file complaints if they experience harassment on the beaches. According to his account, no official complaints have been filed recently. The officer notes that many women feel ashamed to come forward.

A document from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) warns that when women try to access justice, they face barriers related to Somali culture. "It often restricts women to the domestic and family sphere, and the different interpretations of judicial regimes, such as Sharia ," he said. [Islamic law], secular law and customary law, and the absence of women in the judicial system,” the text states.

The United Nations warns that, although the country has made progress in guaranteeing women's rights, there is still much to be done, especially regarding sexual violence. "Gender-based violence remains a very prevalent and persistent phenomenon affecting women and girls in Somalia," the UNDP document confirms. It warns that most acts of violence go unreported because "there is a culture of impunity surrounding sexual and domestic violence."

They also harass them in the rivers

It's not just at sea where women suffer harassment while swimming or bathing. In the fertile Hirshabelle region, fed by the Shebelle River, women face similar harassment.

A popular bathing area is Xiintoyda, where Italian engineers diverted river water to sugar plantations during the colonial era. In Jowhar, the capital of Hirshabelle, there used to be a sugar factory, but it was destroyed during the civil war of the 1990s.

It's a disgrace to the family. If they want to swim, they should do it in private.

Abdiweli, 45 years old

Farhio, 22, says that every time she goes to the river, she feels “alone and scared.” “There's no one to go with, and the way people talk about girls who swim makes you feel ashamed. Their words hurt,” she laments.

Many men are hostile to the idea of ​​women swimming or bathing in public. “I think girls shouldn't swim in the river. It's a public place, and such behavior goes against our culture and religion,” says Abdiweli, 45. “It's a disgrace to the family. If they want to swim, they should do it in private.”

“Sometimes I wonder: Is it my fault I was born a girl?” says Ruun, 19, from Jowhar, who also covers up completely when she goes swimming in the river. “I just want to swim, but the way people look at me and talk about me makes me feel ashamed and want to run away. I feel like I'm being punished for wanting to be free.”