Somaliland government review five-year strategy review, sets priorities for jobs and social protection

Somaliland’s Ministry of Employment, Social Affairs and Family (MESAF) has completed a review of its 2022–2026 strategic plan, highlighting progress in labour reforms, social protection and support for vulnerable groups while identifying youth unemployment, climate-related challenges and institutional capacity as key priorities for the remaining implementation period.

As mentioned in a press release from the ministry, the review says the strategy is aligned with Somaliland’s National Development Plan III and provides the framework for government programmes covering employment, labour rights, social protection, family welfare and gender equality.

According to the document, MESAF approved or advanced several national policies during the implementation period, including the National Employment Policy, National Internship Policy, Somaliland Labour Law, National Child Protection Policy, National Gender Policy, Work Permit Regulation and labour dispute regulations. Draft legislation on disability rights, family law and child rights remains under development.

The ministry said its programmes supported income-generating activities for about 200,000 women from 32,000 households, helped create around 65,000 jobs through the Coursera–MESAF programme, distributed food assistance, non-food items and cash transfers to more than 700,000 households, expanded regional offices and strengthened services for people with disabilities and survivors of gender-based violence.

The review identified several continuing challenges, including the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, recurrent drought linked to climate change, high youth unemployment, limited access to social protection services, low representation of women in leadership and constraints affecting the ministry’s operational capacity.

MESAF said its priorities for the remainder of the strategy period include promoting decent work through labour reforms, expanding social protection, increasing women’s participation in political and public leadership, improving economic opportunities for vulnerable groups and strengthening the ministry’s institutional capacity.

The document also identifies youth employment as a central policy objective, calling for expanded vocational training, apprenticeship programmes, stronger links between education and labour market demand, greater support for entrepreneurship and increased collaboration between the public and private sectors.

MESAF said it will continue working with government institutions, civil society organizations and international development partners to implement the strategy and improve access to employment, social services and protection programmes across Somaliland.