The SWDO was established with the support of President Siad Barre in 1977 in memory of Hawo Tako, a female member of the anti-colonialist Somali Youth League, who was killed by the Italian forces in 1948.
[2] In practice however, it was not until after Supreme Revolutionary Council (Somalia) came to power in 1969, that women's rights were prioritized by the government.
The Family Law of 1975 gave equal rights to women and men regarding marriage, divorce and inheritance, and restricted polygamy.
The policy of gender equality enforced by the government through the SWDO had a marked effect on women's position.
[3] After the fall of the Barre regime in 1991, Islamic extremism effectively eliminated the legal rights of women in Somalia.