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Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA)

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Areas of expertise & Fields of activity:	Economic and Social: Citizenship and Governance Human Rights Justice Religion Social Development Women Women/gender Equality Youth Gender Issues and Advancement of Women: Advocacy and outreach Capacity building Education and training of women Human rights of women Indigenous women Institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women Men and boys Research Service provision Trafficking in women and girls Violence against women Women and armed conflict Women and poverty Women and the economy Women in power and decision-making Social Development: Conflict Youth Peace and Development in Africa: Development in Africa
Geographic scope:	Regional Africa
Country of activity:	Kenya Sudan Djibouti Uganda Ethiopia South Sudan Eritrea
Millennium Development Goals:	Achieve universal primary education
Mission statement:	The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) is a civil society coalition bringing together grassroots women’s rights organizations from Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Uganda. It was established in 1995 by a group of women’s rights activists, with the view of strengthening the capacity of women’s rights organizations to combat all forms of violence against women and girls. Over the course of almost two decades, SIHA has grown in membership from eight to ninety-plus civil society and women rights organisations across the Horn region. SIHA aims to contribute to unlocking the massive potential of women’s rights movements in the HoA, by improving the capacity of local organisations in the HoA and to build a strong network of grassroots civil society members that are able to interact and support one another in advocating for effective change. SIHA operates as a regional platform for the mobilization of activists, vulnerable and marginalized groups of women, men, and girls to harness resources that include, but are not limited to knowledge and information, capacity building and financial support aimed at challenging the root causes of problems and challenges faced by women and girls in the Horn of Africa Region. Through direct engagement on project implementation, we seek to better connect our members and work with them see the common themes that exist in their work. In this way, SIHA works through and in support of its local grassroots members in campaigning and advocacy for women rights to enhance the capacity of grassroots women rights activists and community leaders. Vision All women and girls in the Horn of Africa have the right to live in a peaceful, just environment and that they are able to exercise their equal rights as human beings. Strategic Themes of Focus Eradication of Violence Against Women and Girls Strengthening Women’s access to justice and fighting the disastrous impact of religious fundamentalism Enhancing women’s economic empowerment and realization of economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR) Combating trafficking in women and girls from the Horn. Comparative advantage As a regional platform for activists on gender equality and women’s human rights in the Horn of Africa, SIHA has a unique role of being one of the few indigenous networks run by Civil Society from across the region. At SIHA, we are very keen on further maintaining our work to support education on effective campaigning and lobbying across regional and international platforms using collective and coordinated approaches to create both powerful and sustainable social change in the Horn of Africa.
Year established:	1995
Year of registration:	1995
Organizational structure:	Regional Advisory Committee (RAC), Regional General Assembly (RGA), Regional Board of Directors (RBOD), the Secretariat, In-Country Offices/Coordinators (ICO/C)and the SIHA Network Members. The SIHA Regional Board of Directors (RBOD) is the supreme policy making organ of SIHA. The RBOD shall consist of six member organizations, which shall represent the network countries/entities, with one member of the RBOD appointed based on expertise and which is elected by the Regional General Assembly. The Regional Advisory Committee (RAC)is a voluntary body that will act as a support to the SIHA RBOD and Secretariat. The RAC members must have the technical expertise and the knowledge to advise the RBOD and the secretariat and they should have contributed or be prepared to contribute to the development of the network. The SIHA Secretariat is under the lead of the Regional Director,who is appointed by the RBOD. Under the SIHA Secretariat, a number of Focal-Points and In-country Offices alongside local SIHA Member Organizations.
Number and type of members:	SIHA has both members and partnership organizations across the Horn of Africa, namely Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan Djibouti, Somalia, Somaliland, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Kenya. In Uganda SIHA has mostly worked in West Nile Region, Kampala and Wakiso those projects and collaborations have been carried out in collaboration with Member Organizations such as MIFUMI, RACI Koboko, the Northern Uganda Women and Children's Initiatives (NUWECHI), the National Association of Women organizations in Uganda (NAWOU), RUTH Fund, CEDA International and the Muslim Center for Justice and Law (MCJL). SIHA has a long knowledge of over 10 years working in South Sudan, mostly Western Bahr El Ghazal, Lake States and Juba. We have closely collaborated with our member organizations, as for WDS, WOTAP as main partners and currently have 20 member organizations in South Sudan, as well as a country office in Wau, Western Bahr el Ghazal. SIHA has a regional office in Sudan that has been functional since its inception in 1995, as well as a high number of national women’s rights organizations as SIHA Network members. SIHA has been working mostly in the regions of Tigray and Oromo, as well as in Sudan, with the Ethiopian Migrant community. SIHA currently has 15 member organizations in Ethiopia, for example the Circus Ethiopia for Youth and Social Development, New Millennium Hope Development, the Good Samaritan Association and the Union of Ethiopian Women Charitable Associations (UEWCA). SIHA has been working all across Somalia, together with its 9 member organizations, as for example the Iniskoy Peace and Democracy Organization (IPDO), the Community Organization for Relief and Development (CORD), the Somali Women Development Center (SWDC) and the Somali Community Care (SOCOCA). SIHA has been working through its 11 partner organization, as for example Women’s Action for Advocacy and Development Organisation (WADA), Nagaad Network, the Somaliland Women’s Research and Action Group (SOWRAG) and the Women Human Rights Education and Environment Association (WHEEA), mainly in Hargeisa, Burao Salahlay and Sheikh.
Affiliation with NGO networks:	different Umbrella organizations and networks across the Horn of Africa
Funding structure:	Grants from Governments Foreign and international grants
Funding structure other:	SIHA receives funding from foreign and international grants as well as governments and representations across the region.

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