Jacob Maiju Korok, Deputy Minister of Information addressing the media after a Council of Ministers meeting on Friday, October 20, 2023. (Photo: Charles Wote)

The National Council of Ministers on Friday reviewed and passed guidelines for establishing and managing safe homes for survivors of gender-based violence, and preventing the vice in the country.

The guidelines were endorsed following a presentation to the cabinet by Aya Benjamin Warille, the Minister of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare.

Deputy Information Minister Jacob Korok said the regulations aim to ensure that survivors receive comprehensive and effective response services.

Korok said the document sets rules, standards and procedures to be followed by the public and private sectors in order to protect and support GBV survivors and prevent the practice.

“The objective of these guidelines is to ensure that survivors of gender-based violence receive holistic effective comprehensive response services of support prevention and protection,” Korok told journalists after the cabinet meeting on Friday.

“This proposal aims to set minimum rules standards and procedures that should be followed by both public and private sectors intending to establish and manage the safe home for survivors of GBV in South Sudan.”

Deputy Minister Korok said it’s unacceptable for parents, guardians and communities to force children into marriage.

The official said the practices of early and forced marriage are a clear violation of international law

“This policy is very important, especially for South Sudanese people. We have bad practices in different tribes. The practice is forcing marriage and we really should not entertain this kind of policy practice to force our kids.”

“You know, you find that a small kid is engaged to an old man and when she refuses the family will force her to marry which is against International law.”

In February 2023, the government and development partners launched a safe house serving to protect and rehabilitate GBV survivors in Central Equatoria State.

The national Ministry of Gender, in 2020 proposed the establishment of three GBV safe-homes in Juba, Wau, and Malakal.

But since then, only Wau safe-house was established with funding from the US Agency for International Development through the Swiss Development Cooperation.

Meanwhile in Western Equatoria, the state government launched the construction of a four-room  Safe House in 2023 with a $50,000 funding from the UN Mission in South Sudan through its Quick Impact Project.