PHOTO: Left to right: Esther Soma, UN WOMEN program officer, Roselyn Gama, the policy officer for gender at the embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands, and Suzan Pasquale, the executive director of Women Advancement Organization. Photo by Garang Abraham/Eye Radio, March 9, 2020

Some women leaders are urging women to demand more than the 35 percent representation provided for in the revitalized peace agreement.

According to the 2011 Transitional Constitution, as amended, women shall be accorded full and equal dignity of the person with men.

The Constitution also stipulates that women shall have the right to participate equally with men in public life.

The revitalized peace agreement also urges all the parties to empower and engage women in THE decision-making process.

This is part of 35% that the parties agreed upon to be given to women during the reconstituted transitional government of national unity.

The new peace accord also tasks the incumbent government to appoint not fewer than six women to ministerial positions; not fewer than three women in SPLM-IO and SSOA must appoint no less than one woman.

But according to human rights activists, women in South Sudan have a long way to go in attaining equality.

Suzan Pasquale is the executive director of the Women Advancement Organization.

She stressed that women’s participation in decision-making goes beyond 35 percent.

“It is not all about just the 35% but to me, I will say it’s all about the opportunity that we can give to the women, I have the same competency as any other man and I can do even more than the man,” said Suzan.

“In our Politic here in South Sudan, I am seeing women are still undermined, they are not given that chance and opportunity to do what they can do so that they can achieve just like men do.”

“I just need equal opportunity for both men and women. We have a lot of competent women but they are not given the chance. We have given you thirty-five percent so what?”

“When we go to the system and get into real sense you will find that with the 35 percent of women are place in a weaker position that they can’t be influential. They are not given the top position for them to exercise their competence.”

Meanwhile, Roselyn Gama, the policy officer for gender at the embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands in Juba says women should participate in all the levels of the government.

“When we are talking about the 35 affirmative actions, we are talking about all the levels, whether it is at the national level regarding the executive, the judiciary and the legislative, the three arms of the government, we want to ensure that the 35 percent affirmative action is met at this level. But even also at the grass root level, weather it is at the county level, in the county assembly, how many women are you giving them an opportunity to participate in the decision making arenas. Are they part and parcel of the decision making?” Roselyn stated.

For her part, the program officer for women, peace and security at the UN Women in South Sudan, Esther Soma, stressed that women and girls should be encourage to go to school.

“As students are growing and progressing, you will find that students in our primary schools, like girls in late primary schools that’s when they get their first menses and are they able to continue with classes or do they have access to sanitary facilities that would allow them to go to school or do they miss a week or two of school because they are on their period and so when that happens they are already missing out and that can discourage some because, by the time they are coming back to school, you’re missing a week of school every month there is a lot of catching up to do,” Esther explained.

“Also when we get to the university level when they are done with high school, what is society telling them? You don’t need to go to university, you will be too expensive, and men will be threatened by you.”

“I have had a couple of my friends who were thinking of getting of our masters and Ph.D.’s but their aunties are like no wait until you get married first because you will scare the men away.

“We should look and interrogate all these things that are barriers at every level stopping girls from progressing education-wise.”