Leadership dialogue on combating the gender based violence and conflict related sexual violence in South Sudan held with key stakeholders in Juba
Engaging key stakeholders from various sectors is key to ending gender-based violence (GBV) in South Sudan which, for decades now, has been perpetuated by gender inequality, discriminatory practices, poverty, and the ongoing conflict.
While there is no national data on the prevalence of GBV in South Sudan, one study conducted in three states showed 65 per cent of women and girls have reported being physically and or/sexually abused. Child marriage, another form of GBV, is also high in South Sudan with 45 per cent of girls being married by the age of 18, limiting their opportunities in life and increases their vulnerability to harmful health consequences, such as maternal death or disability.
Mr. Alain Noudehou, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General to South Sudan, said statistics on the prevalence of GBV in the country is just the tip of the iceberg as many cases are under-reported due to women’s fear of their safety and the stigma attached to being a GBV survivor.
“Even without a single report of GBV, we need to assume that this menace occurs, especially in humanitarian context,” Mr. Noudehou told key government, civil society, and development and humanitarian partners during the Leadership Dialogue on Gender-Based Violence and Conflict-Related Sexual Violence organized by the UN – Country Team in partnership with Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare today in Juba.
The dialogue was organized to look at ongoing initiatives to address the GBV situation in the country and identify leadership actions to scale up efforts to prevent and respond to GBV cases.
The UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Ms. Bintou Keita, who is currently on a mission to South Sudan, said that for peacebuilding and reconciliation to take root in South Sudan, sexual violence survivors must receive justice.
“For peacebuilding to take root, justice must be done, and be seen to be done for sexual violence survivors,” she said.
She added that the UN has put in place measures to address gender based violence, including conflict related sexual violence.
“Since 2008 there are four Security Council resolutions on conflict-related sexual violence … these resolutions augment the five Women Peace and Security Council Resolutions which include, inter alia, specific reference to gender-based violence and accountability frameworks.
Hon. Awut Deng Acuil, Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare, said that to gender related issues should be address collectively with partners and members of the community, including the perpetrators.
“Combating GBV is the collective responsibility of the society … We have collective responsibility to make sure that we address this because it does not affect the women alone but the whole society including the men, who are usually the perpetrators,” she said.
Representing the NGO forum of South Sudan, Ms. Angelina Nyanjima, urged law enforcement institutions, especially the police and justice organs to ensure that survivors of GBV receive justice and their dignity restored in the communities.
“Perpetrators of GBV should be prosecuted and brought to book. This will help restore the dignity of the affected women and serve as a deterrent measure to others,” she said.
Mr. Noudehou, who serves concurrently as the UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan, highlighted that to end GBV, more leadership action is needed through ending child marriage, engaging the community, ending impunity, evidence based action and adequate resource allocation. He added that the contributions of the health system, judicial sector, education sector, and communities in putting an end to GBV.
Among the initiatives being undertaken by the UN in South Sudan to address GBV include advocating for adoption and strict implementation of policies related to GBV, and supporting institutions to prevent and respond to GBV, including improving access to survivor-centered health, legal and protection services.
“The causes and drivers of GBV are known. With combined and concerted actions, we can collectively end GBV in South Sudan,” Mr. Noudehou stressed. “It is an aspiration and it is possible.”