Human Rights and Freedom in Somalia

https://www.humantruth.info/somalia_human_rights_and_freedom.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2019

#human_rights #somalia #somalia_human_rights

Somalia [Country Profile Page]
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	198th best
Location	Africa
Population	15.0m₁
Life Expectancy	55.28yrs (2017)₂

Somalia is amongst the very worst places in the world at ensuring any human rights and freedoms, and it has severe cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Somalia does worse than average in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₃ (one of the worst in Africa) and in freethought₄. It sits amongst the bottom 20 in terms of commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₅, eliminating modern slavery₆, supporting press freedom₇ (amongst the worst in Africa) and in its average Freedom in the World rating. And finally, it is second-from-the-bottom in terms of LGBT equality₈. "Somalia´s armed conflict, abuses by all warring parties, and a new humanitariancrisis [continues] to take a devastating toll on civilians₉". The country has no moral anchor nor effective defenders of human rights; where protections exist, they are often part of the problem rather than a good solution; for example, sexual violence is classified as being against "honour" and "modesty" rather than being fundamentally wrong in its own right₉ and Shariah courts are sometimes permitted to take place instead of ordinary judicial processes. Much needs to change, and it cannot all be blamed on historical issues: prejudice against LGBT folk is a result of poor moral thinking, not a result of poverty or conflict.

1. Somalia's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #somalia #tolerance

Compared to Africa (2025)₁₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₀
1	S. Africa	55.8
2	Seychelles	64.8
3	Cape Verde	66.8
	...
46	Equatorial Guinea	135.4
47	Angola	136.1
48	Comoros	138.3
49	Mauritania	143.2
50	Djibouti	143.3
51	Swaziland	144.6
52	Eritrea	145.3
53	Sudan	152.9
54	Somalia	163.1
	Africa Avg	110.0
q=54.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₀
1	Sweden	8.5
2	Denmark	13.5
3	Norway	13.5
	...
193	Eritrea	145.3
194	Afghanistan	145.7
195	Brunei	145.9
196	Solomon Islands	151.2
197	N. Korea	151.6
198	Sudan	152.9
199	Vatican City	154.0
200	Somalia	163.1
	World Avg	87.8
q=200.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Denmark and Norway₁₁. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, The Vatican City and Sudan₁₁.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are statistics on supporting press freedom, eliminating modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₁, whereas the worst are Melanesia, The Middle East and Micronesia₁₁.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Somalia stated:

“All parties to Somalia�€�s conflict continued to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law with impunity. Al Shabaab increased its unlawful attacks against civilians. Conflict along with severe drought caused by lack of rain led to the displacement of over 1.8 million people and a new wave of humanitarian crisis. Internally displaced people faced significant human rights violations; women and girls were particularly exposed to gender-based violence. The government increased the health budget but healthcare provision remained poor and access to water, sanitation and food was severely inadequate. Freedom of expression was restricted, and journalists were attacked, beaten and arbitrarily arrested and prosecuted. Media houses were suspended. In Somaliland, authorities severely restricted the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association.”
"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)₁₂

2. Human Rights & Tolerance

2.1. Press Freedom

#democracy #freedom #Freedom_of_Speech #Good_Governance #mass_media #politics #UK

Press Freedom Lower is better₇
Pos.		2013₇
1	Finland	638
2	Netherlands	648
3	Norway	652
	...
171	Vietnam	7178
172	China	7307
173	Iran	7340
174	Somalia	7359
175	Syria	7853
176	Turkmenistan	7914
177	N. Korea	8390
178	Eritrea	8483
	Africa Avg	3511
	World Avg	3249
q=178.

Somalia comes 5th-worst in the world with regard to supporting press freedom.

The freedom to investigate, publish information, and have access to others' opinion is a fundamental part of today's information-driven world, and is linked with Freedom of Speech and Good Governance. Scores on the Press Freedom Index are calculated according to indicators including pluralism - the degree to which opinions are represented in the media, media independence of authorities, self-censorship, legislation, transparency and the infrastructure that supports news and information, and, the level of violence against journalists which includes lengths of imprisonments. The index "does not take direct account of the kind of political system but it is clear that democracies provide better protection for the freedom to produce and circulate accurate news and information than countries where human rights are flouted". The rankings are used as one of the datasets of the Social and Moral Development Index₁₃

It must be noted that press freedom is not an indicator of press quality and the press itself can be abusive; the UK suffers in particular from a popular brand of nasty reporting that infuses several of its newspapers who are particularly prone to running destructive and often untrue campaigns against victims. The Press Freedom Index notes that "the index should in no way be taken as an indicator of the quality of the media in the countries concerned".

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

2.2. Slavery

#burundi #eritrea #france #human_rights #indonesia #slavery

Slavery Lower is better₆
Pos.		2018 % Victims₆
1	Japan	0.03
2=	Canada	0.05
2=	Taiwan	0.05
	...
154	Sudan	1.20
155	Mongolia	1.23
156	Congo, DR	1.37
157	Somalia	1.55
158	Iran	1.62
159=	Cambodia	1.68
159=	Pakistan	1.68
161	S. Sudan	2.05
	Africa Avg	0.96
	World Avg	0.65
q=167.

Somalia ranks 11st-worst in the world regarding eliminating modern slavery.

The taking of slaves has been an unwholesome feature of Human cultures since prehistory₁₄. Private households and national endeavours have frequently been augmented with the use of slaves. The Egyptian and Roman empires both thrived on them for both purposes. Aside from labourers they are often abused sexually by their owners and their owners' friends₁₅. The era of colonialism and the beginnings of globalisation changed nothing: the imprisonment and forced movements of labour continued to destroy many lives except that new justifications were invented based on Christian doctrine and the effort to convert non-Christians. By 1786 over 12 million slaves had been extracted from Africa and sent to colonial labour camps, with a truly atrocious condition of life₁₆. But they were not the only ones to blame; in Africa internal nations such as the Asantes sold and bought tens of thousands of slaves₁₇.

The abolition of the slave trade was a long and slow process. Until a relatively modern time, even philosophers, religious leaders and those concerned with ethics justified, or ignored, the problem of slavery₁₈. The first abolitionists were always the slaves themselves. Their protests and rebellions caused the industry to become too expensive to continue. After that, it was the economic costs of maintain slave colonies that led the British to reject and then oppose the slave trade globally. Finally, the enlightenment-era thinkers of France encouraged moral and ethical thinking including the declaration of the inherent value of human life and human dignity₁₉. A long-overdue wave of compassionate and conscientious movements swept across the West, eliminating public support for slavery, until the industries and churches that supported it had no choice but to back down.

'Modern slavery' includes forced labour (often of the under-age), debt bondage (especially generational), sexual slavery, chattel slavery and other forms of abuse, some of which can be surprisingly difficult to detect, but often target those fleeing from warzones and the vulnerable.₂₀. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi₂₁, Eritrea₂₁, Indonesia₂₂) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say that in 2016, 40.3 million people were living in modern slavery₂₃.

For more, see:

"The Historical Slave Trade and Modern Slavery" by Vexen Crabtree (2018).

2.3. Freedom in the World

#freedom #human_rights #hungary #politics #USA

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
198	Myanmar (Burma)	7.0
199=	Eritrea	7.0
199=	Central African Rep.	7.0
199=	Azerbaijan	7.0
199=	Sudan	7.0
199=	Turkmenistan	7.0
199=	Somalia	7.0
199=	Tajikistan	7.0
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

Somalia comes last in the world in terms of its average Freedom in the World rating.

Freedom House's long-standing annual report has been running since the 1970s, collecting data on political rights (PR) and civil liberties (CL). Their reports rate countries as "Free", "Partially Free" or "Not Free", however the results here are based on their numerical values. Many countries score the best combination of scores (1 and 1), which is why the table of results show many places equally placed in 1st place. In the past two decades, some well-established democracies like the USA and Hungary have been falling. Whilst most of the world in general is improving rights and freedoms over time, the 2020s has seen some regression.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

2.4. Human Rights Watch Comments

#human_rights

Human Rights Watch Comments Higher is better₅
Pos.		2017 Score₅
1=	UK	9
1=	France	9
1=	Germany	9
	...
109	Central African Rep.	-8
110	Myanmar (Burma)	-9
111=	Eritrea	-9
111=	Somalia	-9
111=	Libya	-9
114	Sudan	-10
115=	Iran	-10
115=	Burundi	-10
	Africa Avg	-5.6
	World Avg	-1.9
q=123.

Somalia is 5th-worst in the world regarding commentary in Human Rights Watch reports.

Human Rights Watch comments concentrate mostly on negative issues, however, they also make positive comments for those countries that engage in human rights defence around the world, or who make improvements at home. By adding up positive and negative comments (including double-points for negatives that involve large scales and crimes against humanity), the Social and Moral Index turns HRW commentary into quantified values. Some countries may be unfairly penalized because HRW have not examined them, and, some countries "get away" with abuses if they manage to hide it, or if it goes unnoticed - a negative point has been given for those countries in which HRW specifically state that access to investigators has been barred. The points were limited to a minimum of -10 because there are some points at which things are so bad, with abuses affecting so many, it is difficult to be more specific about the depths of the issues.

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

2.5. Nominal Commitment to HR

#human_rights

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₃
Pos.		2009 Treaties₃
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
171	Cook Islands	9
172	Guinea-Bissau	8
173=	USA	8
173=	Somalia	8
173=	Eritrea	8
176	Indonesia	7
177=	N. Korea	7
177=	Sao Tome & Principe	7
	Africa Avg	14.8
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

Somalia comes 172nd in the world with regard to its nominal commitment to Human Rights (amongst the worst in Africa).

There are many international agreements on human rights, and, many mechanisms by which countries can be brought to account for their actions. Together, these have been the biggest historical movement in the fight against oppression and inhumanity. Or, putting it another way: these are rejected mostly by those who wish to oppress inhumanely. None of them are perfect and many people object to various components and wordings, but, no-one has come up with, and enforced, better methods of controlling the occasional desires that states and peoples have of causing angst for other states and peoples in a violent, unjust or inhumane way. Points are awarded for the number of human rights agreements ratified by the country, plus the acceptance of the petition mechanisms for disputes. The maximum possible score in 2009 was 24.

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

2.6. HR Treaties Lag

#human_rights #international_law #micronesia #politics #small_islands

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₂₄
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₄
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
184	Brunei	15.29
185	Tonga	15.55
186	Micronesia	15.55
187	Somalia	15.71
188	Kiribati	15.80
189	Solomon Islands	15.81
190	Nauru	16.16
191	Sao Tome & Principe	16.17
	Africa Avg	9.88
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

One of the worst in Africa Somalia comes 9th-worst in the world in terms of speed of uptake of HR treaties.

Human Rights (HR) Treaties Lag is a count of how long it took each country to sign each of 11 key HR treaties. From the date of the first signatory of each treaty, all other countries have one point added to their score for each day they delayed in signing. Results are presented as average time in years to sign each one. The lower a country's score, the more enthusiastically it has taken on international Human Rights Treaties - which are, of course, minimal standards of good governance. The slowest are the countries of Micronesia, Melanesia, Australasia and Polynesia all lagged by over 12 years per treaty. The best regions are The Americas, Scandinavia and the Mediterranean.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

3. Gender Equality

The 1950s saw a late rush of 43 countries, including Somalia and many developing nations, move to cease preventing women from voting.

See:

"Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree

3.1. Year Women Can Vote

#christianity #gender_equality #human_rights #politics #women

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Total Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
108=	Mali	1956
108=	Benin	1956
108=	Mauritius	1956
108=	Somalia	1956
108=	Gabon	1956
108=	Egypt	1956
108=	Comoros	1956
115	Malaysia	1957
	Africa Avg	1961
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Regarding the year from which women could participate in democracy, Somalia is positioned 108th in the world.

Women now have equal rights in the vast majority of countries across the world. Although academic literature oftens talks of when a country "grants women the right to vote", this enforces a backwards way of thinking. Women always had the right to vote, however, they were frequently denied that right. The opposition to women's ability to vote in equality with man was most consistently and powerfully opposed by the Catholic Church, other Christian organisations, Islamic authorities and some other religious and secular traditionalists.

For more, see:

"Gender Equality" by Vexen Crabtree (2023).

4. Prejudice

4.1. LGBT Equality

#equality #homosexuality #human_rights #ICCPR #intolerance #sexuality #tolerance

LGBT Equality Higher is better₈
Pos.		2017 Score₈
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
	...
189=	Libya	-42
189=	Morocco	-42
191	Solomon Islands	-44
192	Qatar	-54
193	Sudan	-67
194	Saudi Arabia	-72
195	Somalia	-79
196	Syria	-84
	Africa Avg	-10.4
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Somalia ranks 2nd-worst in the world, after Somalia, when it comes to LGBT equality.

Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) folk is rife across the world. Legal restrictions co-exist alongside social stigmatisation and physical violence₂₅. LGBT tolerance and equal rights have been fought for country-by-country across the world, often against tightly entrenched cultural and religious opposition. Adult consensual sexual activity is a Human Right, protected by privacy laws₂₆. Despite this, homosexual activity is outlawed in around 80 countries₂₅. The Social & Moral LGBT Equality Index was created to compare countries and regions, granting points to each country for a variety of factors including how long gay sex has been criminalized and the extent of LGBT legal rights. Graded negative points are given for criminality of homosexuality, unequal ages of consent, legal punishments and for not signing international accords on LGBT tolerance. The signs in many developed countries are positive, and things are gradually improving. Europe is by far the least prejudiced region (Scandinavia in particular being exemplary). The Middle East and then Africa are the least morally developed, where cultural bias goes hand-in-hand with state intolerance, all too often including physical violence.

For more, see:

"LGBT Rights Across the World: Which are the Best and Worst Countries?" by Vexen Crabtree (2017).

4.2. Freedom of Thought

#europe #freedom_of_belief #freethought #human_rights #netherlands #religion #religious_tolerance #secularism #the_enlightenment

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₄
Pos.		2021₄
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
	...
177	China	4.5
178=	Qatar	4.5
178=	Indonesia	4.5
178=	Somalia	4.5
178=	Malaysia	4.5
178=	Morocco	4.5
178=	Kuwait	4.5
178=	Syria	4.5
	Africa Avg	3.1
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

In terms of freethought, Somalia ranks 21st-worst in the world.

Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Belief are upheld in Article 18 the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights₂₇. It affirms that it is a basic human right that all people are free to change their beliefs and religion as they wish₂₈. No countries voted against this (although eight abstained). This right was first recognized clearly in the policies of religious toleration of the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe in the post-enlightenment era₂₉ of the 19th century. In democratic countries, freedom of belief and religion is now taken for granted₃₀. In 2016 a study found that over 180 countries in the world had come to guarantee freedom of religion and belief₃₁. The best countries at doing so are Taiwan, Belgium and The Netherlands₄_,₃₂ and the worst: Afghanistan, N. Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia₄_,₃₃.

Long-term studies have shown that religious violence and persecution both decrease in cultures where religious freedom is guaranteed₃₄. Despite this, there still are many who are strongly against freedom of belief₂₈, including entire cultures and many individual communities of religious believers. Their alternative is that you are not free to believe what you want and they often state that you cannot change religion without being punished (often including the death penalty): this is bemoaned as one of the most dangerous elements of religion₃₅ and "the denial of religious freedoms is inevitably intertwined with the denial of other freedoms"₃₆ and the solution is, everywhere, to allow religious freedom and the freedom of belief.

For more, see:

"Freethought - Freedom of Belief and Freedom of Religion" by Vexen Crabtree (2022).

5. Freedom of Belief and Religion

#religion_in_somalia #somalia

When it comes to religious freedom and persecution, sociologists Grim & Finke place Somalia into the worst category, along with just 13 other countries. In this category, severe restrictions on religious freedom and freedom of belief stem simultaneously from top-down pressure from government and institutionalized religion, and from bottom-up grassroots movements that often go even further than the government in harassing those who do not believe the right things (2011)₃₇.