Women leaders attend the launch of the S4 Coalition South Sudan campaign, “Stand for Her Land,” in Juba, calling for stronger enforcement of women’s land and inheritance rights in South Sudan. – Photo credit: Michael Daniel/Eye Radio.

Women’s rights activists in South Sudan are warning that weak enforcement of land laws continues to expose women to discrimination, displacement, and denial of inheritance and property ownership rights across the country.

The concerns were raised during the launch of the S4HL Coalition South Sudan campaign, “ Nancy Anena Paska,” where activists, lawmakers, and civil society leaders called for stronger implementation of laws protecting women’s land rights.

Speaking during the event in Juba yesterday, legal advocate and consultant Suhila Deng said the lack of official documentation remains one of the biggest barriers preventing women from claiming ownership and inheritance rights.

“The lack of official documentation is one of the biggest problems facing women in South Sudan regarding land ownership,” Suhila Deng said. “Most women neglect to obtain marriage certificates and birth certificates for their children, yet these documents are essential in proving inheritance rights after the death of a husband.”

She urged women to secure marriage certificates through religious, civil, or customary marriages. She also criticized the absence of women in land governance institutions.

“There are no women in decision-making positions in local government leadership, land registry offices, courts, and surveying departments,”

A member of the Central Equatoria State Legislative Council Peace and Security Committee, Isaac Aloro, said both the Constitution and the Land Act guarantee equal land ownership rights for women and men, but customary practices continue to undermine those rights.

“The constitution of the Republic of South Sudan and the South Sudan Land Act equally mandate women to own land like men, “But customary laws in many communities remain very negative about women owning land.”

He described land as more than property, calling it “a source of identity, dignity, and social security.” He added that women remain underrepresented in land courts, land governance, and community land management committees.

The Chairperson of the South Sudan Land Alliance, Dorothy Drabuga Ambrose, said existing legal protections are failing because of poor implementation and low public awareness.

“We have the legal frameworks that protect women’s land rights, but due to lack of implementation, women still do not enjoy their rights to land,” she said. “Customary norms continue to dominate, and these norms are often negative towards women.”

Dorothy stressed the importance of training chiefs and traditional leaders, saying they play a major role in enforcing customary practices in communities.

The Executive Director of Global Empowerment for Poverty Alleviation, Nancy Paska, identified cultural beliefs, political instability, and displacement as major obstacles preventing women from accessing land.

“Most women in South Sudan have run away and are in camps in neighboring countries,” Nancy Baska said. “When they return, they often find other people occupying the land they used to live on.”

She added that weak institutions and poor enforcement of laws continue to worsen the situation.

“We already have laws and policies that support women’s ownership of land, but the gap is poor implementation,” she said. “People understand these laws, but they cannot implement them.”

Meanwhile, Equatoria State Member of Parliament Saadia Anthony linked women’s access to land to food security and economic empowerment.

“Eighty percent of agricultural activities in South Sudan are done by women,” Saadia Anthony said. “If women are able to get land, they will contribute greatly to development and food production.”

She said women without land titles face difficulties accessing bank loans and securing stable livelihoods.

“How can you get a loan from a bank without a land title?” she asked. “The law should also think about poor women in the villages who need land to cultivate and support their families,” she added.