Women sell food items at Yei Market. (Photo: FCA)

JUBA, (Eye Radio) – Before South Sudan descended into renewed political tension and insecurity early this year, the country was already grappling with multiple humanitarian challenges, including a worsening economic crisis that has left families struggling to afford food, with women being the most affected, according to officials.

The country’s protracted humanitarian crises are deepened by conflict, extreme effects of climate change, disease outbreaks, economic crisis and the impact of the ongoing conflict in neighboring Sudan.

In 2024, the Humanitarian Community projected that 9.3 million people – 69 per cent of South Sudan’s total population of 13.4 million – would require some form of humanitarian assistance in 2025.

While launching the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP), the body of relief agencies appealed for US$1.7 billion to provide life-saving assistance to 5.4 million people experiencing the most acute needs.

Speaking at a women’s conference in Juba last week, South Sudanese advocates and women intellectuals, including Vice President Rebecca Nyandeng, argued that the economic hardships have mostly affected women, who wake up early each day to find something to put food on the table for their children.

Some of the advocates called on the government to urgently adopt policies that empower women’s socio-economic rights, highlighting their role as the backbone of the country’s economy.

Nyandeng, the vice president for Gender and Youth Cluster, acknowledged the strength of women in economic growth and said women’s empowerment helps move the country in the right direction.

She said women’s struggle as caregivers remains unseen by the country, hence leading to the infringement rather than elevation of their economic rights.

The Vice President has strongly called for the adoption of policies that support women at all levels, including businesses and participation in the decision-making process.

“South Sudanese women have always been the backbone of our families, our communities, and our economy. You are the strength that holds our nation together,” she said.

“The strength of the women has been hidden. Nobody sees it. And you know that our economy is a foreign-based economy. It has been taken over by foreigners. But few people who are struggling there are women. It is women who wake up before sunrise to sell in the market. We must change this. We must push for policies that uplift women in business, that open doors for them to expand and grow.”

Dr. Kuyang Harriet, a researcher and an independent consultant, who participated in drafting a position paper on women socio-economic rights in 2024, said the existing bill of rights does not empower women in the country.

Kuyang highlighted significant areas where women are deprived of their rights, including rights to equitable remuneration, healthcare and rights that enable women to own resources.

She stated that cultural norms, discriminatory customary practices and stereotyping have backed-up the fading of women’s rights in South Sudan.

“When you look at our transitional constitution of 2011 as amended, it touches on several socioeconomic rights of everybody in the Bill of Rights, you know, rights to housing, rights to health care, rights to equitable remuneration,” he said.

“So, there are all of these rights that are indeed enshrined for everybody. We say because of culture and customs, stereotypes, and discriminatory customary practices, women are not able to be in a position to enjoy these rights.”

On his part, Mr. Deng Kur, a legal researcher who also advocates for women empowerment, added that inappropriate political will has undermined women’s rights.

Deng said the women affirmative action enshrined in the transitional constitution should be treated with respect to empower women.

“The constitution itself has, to some extent, been abused to an extent that women in South Sudan have felt on many occasions deprived of their constitutional rights. And this comes as a result of a lack of political will, giving very little respect to the rule of law,

“But if I could say, today we have the transitional constitution, which articulates the equality of everyone, every citizen in South Sudan. We also have the RSS, which articulates that women be represented by 35% in government sectors,

“All these laws provide a way for representation of women in public life. But then it comes with political will. The political leaders should address themselves to these laws that already exist.”

However, advocate Susan Adut highlighted significant threats that infringed women rights, citing customs and illiteracy as barriers making women unaware of their rights.

She emphasized that advancing women’s rights requires scaling up strategies focused on strengthening socio-economic empowerment, ensuring targeted initiatives that directly benefit women.

“Women have been oppressed here in South Sudan a lot, especially our customs, which are the ones that have really infringed on our rights. And then there is that thing of lack of education. There are a lot of illiterate women who are not aware of their rights.”

“So, I think that advocating for these social and economic rights will make women come up, to empower women who are in the grassroots, who have no idea that they have particular rights which they can advocate for.”