Pauline Latham MP backs moves to stop violence against women
13th October 2011
Local MP Pauline Latham has pledged support for a British charity’s work to protect overseas women from violence.
The Mid Derbyshire politician backed Health Poverty Action when she met its Somaliland campaigner Fatuma Mohamed during her UK visit to raise awareness on the issue.
The MP, a member of the Commons select committee on international development, was told that the charity’s staff in the East African country strive to educate communities against physical assaults on women and girls by men.
Health Poverty Action supports many people in the capital Hargeisa displaced by the civil war in neighbouring Somalia and by the famine and drought within Somaliland, through information, training health workers and improving health facilities.
In traditional male-only courts of the elders, convicted violent men are fined, mostly paid in animals given to survivors. Even if a woman takes a case to the secular [official] court, the court will often ask for the families to resolve the matter themselves.
And after payment of compensation, the wife often has to return to her husband.
Now the charity has received funding to extend its drive against gender-based violence, including a unique project to establish a safe home for survivors, where they will be supported to seek legal redress.
Ms Latham said: “Life in Somaliland is hard for many people in one of the world’s poorest countries. It was heartening to meet Fatuma and hear firsthand about the help available to women and girls who survive violence from men.”
Ms Mohamed said: “I much appreciate that Pauline spared time in her busy schedule to learn about our efforts to improve healthcare. Influential support from a member of the British parliament encourages us to continue this vital service.”
Ms Mohamed also works as a midwife, supporting poor women at risk of death or serious illness through childbirth.
Emergency care is particularly important in reducing maternal mortality.
Three key factors are known as the three delays - the time taken to decide whether to get help, transport problems when going for help, and the lack of skilled staff, equipment and supplies once a woman arrives at a health centre or hospital.
In Somaliland, the charity has increased opening times at health facilities from four hours six days a week to round-the-clock services and almost quadrupled deliveries in health facilities from 21 per cent to 80 per cent.
Health Poverty Action is running a campaign entitled Mothers on the Margins, which seeks to tackle the disproportionate numbers of maternal deaths among indigenous women in developing countries.
Worldwide about 1,000 girls and women die in pregnancy or childbirth every day, most of them unnecessarily. A significant number are from indigenous groups.
People in the UK can back the campaign at www.healthpovertyaction.org
Photo: Pauline meets Health Poverty Action's Somaliland campaigner Fatuma Mohamed
