Duchess Sophie has worked tirelessly to support survivors of sexual violence in conflict zones, and on February 24, Buckingham Palace announced that she’s visited Somalia for the first time. Earlier this week, the Duchess of Edinburgh completed a two-day visit to the African country at the request of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office before heading to Kenya to recognize the role women play in preventing and resolving conflicts.
Somalia has been dealing with political tensions amid the government's offensive against the armed extremist group Al-Shabaab. The group has imposed harsh restrictions on women and girls in areas it controls, and many have faced forced marriages and sexual violence as part of the ongoing conflict in Somalia.
During her visit, the Duchess of Edinburgh met with Somalia’s president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, and joined his daughter Jihan Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to meet survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. She also visited a hospital in Mogadishu to learn more about a sexual and reproductive health program supported by the U.K. that’s now operating in 39 facilities across Somalia.
Per Buckingham Palace, the duchess—who champions the UN's Women, Peace and Security Agenda— “met survivors who spoke about the impact of female genital mutilation, rape and sexual assault on Somali women, and the importance of being able to access vital services.”
The country has been facing a severe drought which has only increased the difficulty for women in Somalia to access vital services. Duchess Sophie learned more about how area organizations work against these conditions to help women facing sexual and gender-based violence.
She also visited a village to meet the wives of Somali fighters, speaking to the women about the challenges they face while their husbands are fighting to secure the country.
On February 25, Sophie headed to Kenya, kicking off her visit by meeting with President William Rutton at State House in Nairobi. Afterwards,she met artisans working at Kazuri Beads, which provides local women with employment opportunities to help achieve economic independence.
Her trip comes a week after her brother-in-law, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The former Duke of York’s association with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has raised numerous questions about what the Royal Family, in particular Queen Elizabeth, knew in regards to his misconduct.
Sophie’s husband, Prince Edward, was the first member of the family to publicly address his brother’s scandal when he was asked about it during a conference in the Middle East. "Well, with the best will in the world, I'm not sure this is the audience that is the least bit interested in that," he stated, noting, "I think it's all really important, always, to remember the victims and who are the victims in all this."
For Duchess Sophie, it seems the best course of action is to continue doing what she does best—fighting for women’s rights behind the scenes.
