SWDF provides through the listening, psychosocial support, and legal guidance centers it manages, free legal counseling and psychosocial support and guidance for female victims of violence.

Social researchers and case management employees provide support for the beneficiaries, while female lawyers provide legal counsel as well as follow-up on their cases in order to settle them in the courts. In 2019 Somali Women’s Development Foundation were able to obtain support for opening and managing centers where psychosocial support and legal counselling was to be provided for female survivors of gender-based violence in Garowe, Puntland state of Somalia. 

The funding sponsored the development and capacity building of the SWDF staff where they gained the knowledge and skills on dealing with female survivors of gender-based violence. The success of SWDF’s experience in managing its first Listening, Psychosocial Support, and Legal Counseling Centre for women and girls in Garowe, augmented its ability to open a second Centre in Burtinle in the beginning of 2020. In 2021, SWDF opened two more Centers, one in Bosaso, and the other in Galkacyo to provide services of psychosocial support and legal guidance for women and girls.

SWDF has Listening, Psychosocial, and Legal Guidance Centers for female survivors of violence/ Somali Women’s Development Foundation located in Garowe, Burtinle, Bosaso and Galkacyo. Important activities managed by the SWDF Centers are:

• Raising Awareness and Building Capacity of Women and Girls. 
Workshops are organized to raise awareness, ensuring that female survivors of violence receive knowledge of their rights regarding the violence directed towards them and are made aware of the indicators of violence. As for legal awareness, it ensures women have knowledge of their rights and demand them, especially regarding marriage and divorce. 

SWDF held special training courses for capacity building for women, encouraging them to be active members in society by way of teaching them skills and self-confidence. Vocational trainings enabled women to go for opportunities to make a living and to develop income generating projects through which women can provide for their families; this is considered a tool for women to make their way out of the cycle of violence.

• Raising Awareness for Men, Religious Clerics, and Tribal leaders. It’s necessary to gain male support; including that of religious clerics and tribal leaders as they are influential male role models. Their support is vital on women’s issues in order to confront violence against women and strengthen the protection of women and girls. SWDF conducts societal dialogue sessions with all men, especially religious clerics and tribal leaders, to raise their awareness on the consequences of violence against women and the direct negative impact on the family and society. SWDF seeks to partner with these groups in society to guarantee their contribution in raising societal awareness and to change their convictions towards violence against women.

• Building Capacity of Local Authorities and Stakeholders It is critical to provide knowledge and necessary skills for the following actors or bodies, local councils, municipality, police department, health centers, educational centers, prominent figures in society and other agencies in order to precisely identify abused women and support them, coinciding with the contribution of providing protection for these women and girls. SWDF works through referrals which guarantees that women receive necessary support inside the community ensuring their protection. SWDF grew the confidence levels in Societal Police and developed their skills in order to contribute to providing required services for women.