Somaliland: Information on custody rights of a divorced Somali woman, on whether these rights differ if the child is male or female, and on whether the divorced women has rights of access to the child
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 May 1994 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | SOM17433.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Somaliland: Information on custody rights of a divorced Somali woman, on whether these rights differ if the child is male or female, and on whether the divorced women has rights of access to the child, 1 May 1994, SOM17433.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6abba54.html [accessed 4 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
No specific information on the above-mentioned mentioned subject related to Somaliland is currently available to the DIRB in Ottawa. However, the following information covering Somalia was provided to the DIRB by a former director for higher education in Somalia, now a resident in Ottawa, on 18 May 1994.
Under the rule of law, a divorced woman would be given custody of her children in accordance with state legislation. However, in the current absence of legal authority, the traditional customs of male-dominated Somali society prevail over the the laws of the former Somalian state. Somalia is a patrilineal society in which children belong to the clan of their father and for this reason a divorced woman would not be given the custody of her children, either male or female. However, tradition allows a divorced woman to visit her children on a regular basis.
For further information on the above subject and on the condition of Somalian women, please consult Response to Information Request SOM17294.E of 5 May 1994 and the April 1994 DIRB Human Rights Brief entitled Women in Somalia, both available at your Regional Documentation Centre.
This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
Reference
Former director for higher education in Somalia, Ottawa. 18 May 1994. Telephone interview.
