CONFERENCE: South Sudan, Ministry to Launch Action Plan on Women

The conference is organized by the Ministry in cooperation with EVE organization as part of its work on implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in South Sudan.

The conference will bring government and civil society participants from all the 10 states.

“Its objective is to identify priority areas for the development of a National Action Plan,” said the statement.

By joining the United Nations as a Member State in 2011, South Sudan became bound by the commitments in United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325.

In response to this obligation, the Ministry of Gender Child and Social Welfare has embarked on a mission to develop a National Action Plan to implement the principles of the Resolution.

Regina Ossa Lullo, Director General for Gender and Child Welfare in the Ministry said, “South Sudan is in a unique position since we are both recovering from decades of war and dealing with ongoing localized conflicts. Under these circumstances we must ensure that we address the security requirements of women and ensure that women are prominently involved in peace building initiatives.”

Resolution 1325 calls upon all UN Member States to address the disproportionate and unique impact that armed conflict has on women. It recognizes the particular vulnerability of women to sexual violence during times of conflict and in post conflict situations where rule of law is not yet fully established.

The Resolution seeks to ensure the inclusion of women in peace building through calling for them to be present at the negotiating table as well as involved in all forms of post-conflict governance.

If South Sudan succeeds in designing and implementing a National Action Plan on Resolution 1325, it will join a small group of countries blazing a trail for women's peace and security worldwide. To date only 37 out of 193 UN Member States have developed UNSCR 1325 National Action Plans.

Rita Martin, the Director of Eve Organization for Women Development stresses the important role that civil society has to play in developing the UN Resolution 1325. She said women civil society organizations and activists in South Sudan have welcomed the opportunity to focus on women's peace and security.

“It is very important that women's issues are tabled as one of the top priorities of the government of the Republic of South Sudan. Civil society groups can help the government in this process by identifying the priority needs of the ordinary civilians, the women in the villages. These are the people for whom a National Action Plan could have a real impact,” Rita said.

The Ministry will also use the opportunity of the conference to present its Baseline Study on women's peace and security in South Sudan. The study addresses the human security of South Sudanese women across a number of areas including rates of gender-based violence, security in refugee camps, involvement in politics, women in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, and many others.

Lydia Stone who co-authored the report with Eve Organization says, “This study shows that although great achievements have been made with regard to women's rights – such as the 25 per cent quota for women in public office – there is still room for much more to be done to promote the peace and security of women in South Sudan. There has been plenty of research, now it is time for action.”

The conference will mark another women's strive towards struggling for their rights after the country gained her independence in 2011. Last year, the Ministry and concern organizations finalized consultations on a women's gender policy frame work that aims at protecting women's rights.