Black Women' s Health and Family Support- Work With Early Married

Black Women's Health and Family Support (BWHAFS)

Background

Aims and Objectives

Organisational Structure

The People We Work With

Partnerships

International Project - Barako Family Health and Education Centre

Shamis's First Visit

Shamis's Second Visit

Barako Case Studies

My Story in Somaliland

Full Workshop Report

• Work With Early Married

Burao Region of Somaliland

Women's Participation in Public Life in Somaliland

Annual Report from Barako School

Interview with Barako Girls

The Organisation's Black Perspective

The Holistic Approach

Black Women's Health 2003 illustration

Work With Early Married

Barako`s Work With Early-married. Barako has been working with young women who married early as the result of the number of women coming to the centre with sad and depressing tales of their married lives. The factors to have caused an increase in early-marriage in Somaliland are as follows:- - Civil wars increased separation of families and exposed women, young girls in particular to tribal animosity and hatred. - Rape and abduction - Famine and drought forced families to seek pasture and water in hostile and unfriendly neighbourhoods. - Lack of income and employment. - Young girls have become a valuable commodity for fathers and brothers. Image: Somali Girl - Example of the people Barako work with

Services Provided To The Early-married. These services involves - : - Advice and counselling - Raising their awareness on problems of early-marriage. - Holding sessions on FGM. - Giving information about education and training available for young women in the Barako Centre and elsewhere. Early-marriage Pilot Survey. Barako has conducted a pilot survey on the problems of early-marriage. About 30 young early-married women were interviewed; and 24 responded to the questionnaire. Almost, all the respondents expressed the fact that they married early caused their divorce; that they have suffered emotionally and physically in their relationships. Infibulation to some extend, contributed to their suffering and pain as seen in their responses to the questionnaire.