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.
