A traditional court hearing in South Sudan. (Courtesy).

The UNDP Child Protection Officer has called for gender equality in the application of customary laws with regard to cultural practices on dowry, inter-community marriage and penalties related to adultery.

Kezia Barasa made the remarks during a three-day training of chiefs, police investigators, and prison investigators. on Gender-Based Violence, rape and customary law in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State.

The training concluded on Saturday in Aweil Centre County and Aweil South County with the state head of High Court, Legal Advisor, Justice Deng Majak, and the commissioners of Aweil Centre and Aweil South in attendance.

Ms. Barasa suggested that the principles of gender equality should be considered in cultural practices to ensure they do not disproportionately impact women.

She said addressing dowry and marital fines through a gender-equal lens is key to enhancing respect for the rights and dignity of both men and women hence, promoting more balanced and fair societal norms.

“The traditional laws, especially on dowry, and matters of hard work, are not being applied as for the Wanh-Alel customary law,” she said.

“Since the majority of them have been able to say that there is application of inclusivity, why is it that they don’t push for equality or fairness when it comes to the matters of dowry?”

She reiterated UNDP’s commitment to expanding the training across Northern Bahr el Ghazal State to enhance the understanding of customary laws among traditional leaders, police, and prison investigators.

On her part, the Paramount Chief Akueki Auwau of Aweil Centre County stated that training introduced new perspectives on court law and handling legal matters.

“We as traditional leaders have not had the opportunity to train and qualify for a long time and now, we have benefited from the three-day workshop and we have learned a lot and talked about the difficulties we face,” he said.

“We were informed after the conference that they will provide a public prosecutor in the region to look into cases of gender-based violence.”

In addition, the Aroyo community Chief called upon UNDP and other partners to extend this training to the remaining counties in the region.

“We appeal to the organizers to organize another session on these issues again so that the benefit is widespread. At this conference, we discussed some topics, learned a lot of things, and reviewed some matters.”

Meanwhile, Justice Deng Majak expressed gratitude to the UNDP for facilitating this essential training, which was organized in Aroyo, Bar Mayen, and Malek Alel.

Commissioners from both counties underscored the significance of the training, emphasizing its value in strengthening local legal and child protection frameworks.

In his remark, the State Ministry of Gender Director of Child Protection, Ker Wal Deng, noted that the three-day workshop would empower Chiefs and police in handling sensitive cases involving rape, adultery, and gender-based violence.