Women's organizations present 13 recommendations to combat violence in South Sudan

Women’s organizations in South Sudan presented 13 recommendations to improve protection for women and girls and enhance responses to sexual and gender-based violence. These proposals arrived as the ResPEct project, a four-year initiative supported by Germany and the European Union, officially concluded in Juba.

The recommendations call for stronger legal protections, accountability for perpetrators, and improved access to reproductive healthcare.

The women also advocate for the right to own and inherit land and property, as well as increased participation for women and survivors of violence in policymaking. Other proposals focus on expanding livelihood opportunities, improving education for girls, and strengthening community-based protection structures. The ResPEct initiative provided psychosocial care and business training to survivors of violence.

One recipient, Hellen Awate, reported that the program helped her regain confidence and social standing after she faced isolation and poverty following her husband's death. She now operates a potato farm and a bricklaying business in Yei. German Ambassador Sebastian Brokelmann stated that Germany invested more than US$6 million through GIZ to prevent sexual and gender-based violence since 2022.

European Union Ambassador Pelle Enarson emphasized that lasting progress requires anchoring prevention and referral services within national and subnational systems to ensure they remain available after external funding ends. Nunu Diana Alison, Director General of Gender, Child and Social Welfare in Central Equatoria State, affirmed the government's commitment to strengthening survivor-centered services through One-Stop Centres and community engagement.