International Day of the Girl: Hafsa and her peers are finding their voices in Somaliland

HARGEISA, Somaliland: For 14-year-old Hafsa, speaking in front of others once felt impossible. 

At school in Hargeisa, she enjoyed learning and spending time with her classmates, but when it came to sharing her thoughts in class, fear often held her back. Worried about being judged, she preferred to stay quiet, even when she had something important to say. 

Today, Hafsa tells a different story. "Previously, I always felt scared and shy to talk openly in front of people, but now I feel relaxed and more confident expressing my views and opinions," she says. 

Hafsa is among a group of adolescent girls participating in the Girls Are In Action (GAIA) Toolkit, an initiative designed to help girls build self-confidence, strengthen communication skills and develop the agency needed to make informed decisions about their lives.  

In Somalia, UNICEF is working in partnership with the Women and Action for Advocacy and Progress Organisation (WAAPO), a women-led organization, to introduce the toolkit and create safe, supportive spaces where girls can come together, share experiences and strengthen essential life skills. 

For Hafsa, the experience has been transformative. Through group discussions, teamwork activities and peer learning sessions, she discovered that many other girls faced the same insecurities and challenges she did. The programme provided an environment where participants felt listened to, respected and encouraged to express themselves openly. 

As her confidence grew, so did her participation at school. She began raising her hand in class, contributing during group work and interacting more comfortably with teachers and classmates. She also found herself encouraging quieter girls to join discussions, something she never imagined doing before. 

Behind many of these moments was Rahma, one of the mentors and facilitators leading the sessions. For Rahma, supporting girls through the toolkit has been one of the most meaningful experiences of her work with adolescents. "I facilitated sessions covering topics such as self-confidence, communication, leadership, education, peer support and personal wellbeing," she explains. When the programme began, many girls arrived feeling unsure of themselves. "At the beginning, many were shy and hesitant to speak in front of others," Rahma recalls. "However, over time, I observed significant changes in the way they interacted, shared ideas and participated in discussions." 

As participants became more comfortable with one another, they began sharing personal experiences, supporting their peers and finding their voices. For Rahma, one of the most powerful outcomes was the sense of trust that developed within the groups. "The discussions encouraged them to express themselves openly, share personal experiences and support one another," she says. That trust became especially important when some participants felt comfortable enough to discuss personal challenges they had never previously shared. The safe environment helped girls feel heard, respected and supported while also encouraging them to seek guidance when needed.  

The programme offers a unique opportunity to break the isolation often felt by Somali adolescent girls. Typically this is a time when a girl’s world becomes more confined to the home, where the loss of friendships and alternative support systems can be alienating. 6,240 adolescents including 950 married adolescent girls participated in 2025, increasing their knowledge, access to information and friendships. 

The introduction of the GAIA Toolkit in Somalia builds on lessons learned in Mozambique. The toolkit was developed to support adolescent girls in humanitarian and development settings, equipping them with practical skills related to self-confidence, girls' rights, bodily autonomy, peer support and personal wellbeing. It also aims to strengthen girls' resilience and foster networks of support among adolescents.  

Early experiences from Mozambique demonstrated promising results with girls showing improved confidence, stronger agency and greater awareness of their rights. Preliminary findings also pointed to reductions in harmful practices such as early marriage and gender-based violence in pilot communities.  

These encouraging results helped inform efforts to bring the approach to Somalia, where many adolescent girls face barriers to participation, leadership and self-expression. For Rahma, the experience has reinforced the importance of investing in adolescent girls and creating spaces where they can grow and flourish. The programme has also contributed to her own development as a mentor and facilitator, strengthening her leadership, communication and listening skills while deepening her understanding of the realities facing adolescent girls. UNICEF and WAAPO continue working with adolescent girls across communities. 

For Hafsa, the impact is visible every day. The girl who once sat silently in the classroom now speaks up with confidence. She participates more actively in school, shares her ideas openly and believes in her own potential. Her journey reflects the wider goal of the GAIA Toolkit: helping girls recognize their strengths, build resilience and become active participants in shaping their futures. 

On International Day of the Girl, stories like Hafsa's demonstrate what can happen when girls are given the support, encouragement and safe spaces they need to thrive. Through mentorship, peer connection and opportunities to develop their voice, girls are discovering that they already possess the power to lead, participate and create change in their own lives. The toolkit is part of the broader 2gether 4 SRHR programme, a joint initiative of UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO, supported by the Government of Sweden.