The Somali Women Empowerment Initiative (SWEI) is a women-led, grassroots non-governmental organization dedicated to transforming the lives of Somali women and girls through empowerment, education, and access to opportunity. Founded in 2018 in Mogadishu by a network of Somali women professionals and community advocates, SWEI was born out of a collective desire to confront entrenched gender inequality, dismantle systemic barriers, and create pathways to leadership, self-reliance, and dignity.