Angelina Adhel, the Chairperson of the Civil Society Organization Network in Lakes State|

The Chairperson of the Civil Society Organization Network in Lakes State, Angelina Adhel Malual, has called on President Salva Kiir and the national leadership to appoint women to lead the Ministry of Finance and Planning, saying years of male dominance in the ministry have led to corruption and economic hardship.

Speaking to journalists in Rumbek, Angelina said she was compelled to speak out after learning about the recent changes in the Ministry of Finance, which she described as “a place that has suffered too long in the hands of men.”

“Why are men all the time? Are women not capable of doing this work?” she asked. “This ministry has been corrupted by men. Let it be given to us as women so that we also look into it.”

Angelina argued that women, as natural managers of households, have the discipline and empathy needed to handle the country’s finances responsibly.

“Women know what it means when there’s no food in the house,” she said. “We fear God, we fear our names being spoiled — and we think first about feeding our families. That same care should guide the nation’s finances.”

The activist said the prolonged cash shortages, unpaid salaries, and inflation have traumatized families across South Sudan, separating households and pushing people into mental distress.

“People have gone six to ten months without salary. They have been so patient and resilient, but they are suffering in silence,” she said. “There is no money in the banks — even small notes are scarce. Something must be done.”

Angelina called on the government to act decisively to restore public confidence in financial institutions and to open space for women in key decision-making roles.

“If men are so corrupt, then let us also try women,” she said. “There are capable women who can manage the Ministry of Finance with honesty and transparency.”

She also urged South Sudanese citizens not to remain silent in the face of hardship, but to speak out for their rights and for the wellbeing of the nation.

“People of South Sudan have suffered enough. We cannot suffer in silence,” she said. “Let us break this silence and speak for our rights, for women, and for everyone who is vulnerable.”

Angelina’s statement comes amid persistent economic instability, rising inflation, and cash shortages across South Sudan, as the country continues to depend heavily on oil revenue for nearly all of its income.