By Kidega Livingstone
Government in partnership with development agencies on Wednesday launched the women’s charter to actively involve the rights of women and girls in the constitution-making process and the permanent constitution.
The Women’s Charter was created in December 2021 by the Ministry of Gender with support from UN Women in South Sudan. It incorporated the priorities and demands of women and girls into the permanent constitution.
Speaking during the launch, Minister of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare, Aya Benjamin Warille, said that women have the least presentation in all areas of government institutions in both state and national
“The transitional government of national unity diligently must ensure that at least 35 percent of the members of the constitution-making mechanism, our women’s participation stands at 32 percent. The permanent constitution should grant 50 percent of gender presentations at all levels of government,” she said.
In his part of the of the Undersecretary Ministry of Peace Building, Pia Phillip Michael said that it’s time to take collective responsibility to transform the people and the country.
He said that without the inclusion of more women in governance, it will be difficult to transform a nation like South Sudan, which has experienced conflict for many years.
“We cannot transform this country without our women playing critical roles in building the economy and society. You all know the commitment of our women in South Sudan from the war we went through, especially before and after independence. It’s the role of women to bring this country where it’s now,” he said.
UN Women Director of Policy Programmed and Intergovernmental Division, Sara Hendriks, said that the charter will address the challenges women have been facing, especially in the area of discrimination and the protection of gender-based violence.
“The cheater is timely to enhance women’s growth in the decision-making process and as policymakers while they are in key government positions,” she said.
She stated that UN Women continue to support the government and the women and girls of South Sudan in the constitution-making processes.
The process of drafting the drafting the document [women’s charter] was built on the experiences of other African countries including Kenya, Nigeria, Libya, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Ghana.
The thematic areas of the charter include women’s participation in political and public life, education and training of women, marriage and family property ownership, health and reproductive rights, economic and social welfare rights, equality and freedom.