Awut Deng, Minister of General Education and Instructions/ Credit | Eye Radio.

As the Presidency is expected to fully set up unity government, some women and youth leaders are calling on the peace partners to engage young women in decision-making processes in their parties as part of the the 35% affirmative action.

The revitalized peace Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict South Sudan inked in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in September 2018 urges all the parties to empower and engage women in decision-making process.

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

South Sudan slid into civil war two years after gaining its independence from the Sudan in July 2011.

The conflict that began in December 2013 and renewed in July 2016 has reportedly displaced over 4.2 million people, both inside and in the region, especially Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya and the Sudan.

Food production has also declined due to mass displacement of farmers in the fertile areas of the country, notably Equatoria Region, according to FAO.

In September 2018, South Sudan warring parties under the auspicious of regional bloc, IGAD, signed a revitalized agreement to end the five-year conflict.

Wani Michael, executive Director of Okay Africa Foundation, a youth advocacy organization in South Sudan, says young women should be engaged in the decision making processes.

“The young women have been more marginalized because whenever they come to the youth spaces, they are told that they are not youth but woman. Whenever they go to women’s spaces, they are told ‘you are not a woman, you are a youth’,” Michael argues.

He said of the 12 ministries given to women, some of these positions should be offered to young women.

Zainab Osman Said, member of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), agrees with Wani Michael.

“We need these girls to take up the positions as much as possible, because they are more energetic, they are more educated,” Ms Osman asserted.

Women and Peace

Shortly before appointment and swearing-in of his deputies, President Salva Kiir agreed to return the country to the former ten states, which have been a source of conflict.

With creation of 32 states in late 2015, conflict over boundaries erupted in parts of the country.

It cost lives and displacements in several now defunct states of Jonglei, Wau and Tonj, whereby some communities claimed ownership of some areas.

Ms Osman believed that, having more women in the cabinet will help to convince men to embrace peace.

“If this time round we have 35% of women or more in leadership, we are going to see a difference because women will not allow their husbands to go and fight,” she continued.

“We want to talk to our men, to tell them that enough is enough because we cannot continue fighting. It does not look good for me to see my children going to other countries to get education.”

Meanwhile, Mary Akech Bior, chairperson of Women Bloc – a signatory to the peace agreement – believes that, if 35% is fully honored, challenges of South Sudanese women will be addressed.

According to UN, the over five-year conflict has mainly affected women and girls who suffered various consequences of the violence, abuse, deprivation and loss of livelihoods.

Women, girls and children make up the majority of those displaced. The responsibility for family wellbeing in these difficult circumstances places a phenomenal burden on women, it suggests.

Women and Education

Akech stressed that young South Sudanese women needs to be empowered.

“The young women have to come out; their voices must be heard. They should join political parties as advised by the NPTC,” Akech stated, adding that “It’s free to join any political group.”

Women in South Sudan make up around 42 percent of the country’s total population.

UNESCO placed an adult literacy rate at 26.83%. While the male literacy rate is 34.84%, for females is 19.19%, showing a big gap between the sexes.

In comparison with other countries the literacy rate in South Sudan is very low.

For her part, the speaker of the defunct Maridi State parliament, Hon. Mary Sungu, warned that, for women to see full implementation of the 35% affirmative action, young women should enroll in schools to get education so as to be ready to take up leadership roles:

“Let the girls go to school because there are some positions one cannot hold without academic qualifications, for example office of a director-general of any ministry.”

For her part, the SPLM acting Secretary General Jemma Nunu Kumba, who is one of the few women who have been holding various government positions since 2005, acknowledged the huge gap among women in politics.

Nunu revealed that plans are underway to establish a proper channel of communication among women leaders in the country.

“I will call for more women empowerment regardless of the 35%. We should aim for more than 35%,” she said.