South Sudan women soldiers bank on lobby to achieve gender parity
South Sudanese wave the flag of their country during a ceremony in Juba to celebrate independence from Sudan. The country's women soldiers say their male counterparts are considered superior to them.
What you need to know:
- The network not only seeks to bring women soldiers together but also advocate their promotion to better positions to realise gender equality.
- The launch, done with the support from the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund, will be followed by training in human rights laws, responsibilities, rights and obligations.
A new lobby that is aimed at encouraging and supporting women joining or being recruited to the military has been launched in South Sudan.
The Women’s Network for South Sudan People’s Defence Forces was launched this week in Juba. The network not only seeks to bring women soldiers together but also advocate their promotion to better positions to realise gender equality.
The launch, done with the support from the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund, will be followed by training in applicable human rights laws, responsibilities, rights and obligations.
Unrecognised
Gizem Yurtseven of UN Women South Sudan Country Office noted that despite the known benefits, women soldiers are often given less value than men. She observed there is still a lot to be done, more so in advocating rights.
“I have heard from women who are in the room today that when men are present with similar ranks, women are no longer allowed to do the work they were doing before. They are suddenly bringing tea and doing administrative work, although they are very capable of performing professionally as well as men,” said Mr Yurtseven.
Lieutenant Colonel Harriet Fouzia Ginaba, a representative of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces, called for women’s inclusion in the security sector. She said women are peacemakers and can solve issues without guns by using their word and diplomacy.
She wished South Sudanese women soldiers would have the same positions as men. “Now if I ask: How many women chiefs [are there] in South Sudan? None. So, let men [allow women to] try. Because for them to work alone is not good. Let us [women and men] work together.”
She noted women in uniform also act as role models in the local environment, inspiring other women and girls in often male-dominated societies to push for their own rights and participation in peace processes.
Lieutenant Colonel Fouzia Ginaba had a clear message for South Sudanese. “Don’t stop your girl from joining the military. Don’t stop your wife from joining the military. They are the future of South Sudan. Let them come and join.”
Positive impact
UN Women notes that women play an important role in the security sector and have a positive effect on operations through community engagement, mentoring, setting good examples and helping prevent and respond to gender-based violence.
The UN agency also observes that increasing the number of women in the security sector is crucial to empowering women in communities and addressing specific needs of women and girls in conflict and post-conflict settings.
“Having more women working in security also contributes to making the sector more approachable for women in the community, such as exemplified in relation to survivors of gender-based violence, and helps to reduce conflict and confrontation,” the UN Women says in a statement.
Similar women’s networks and human rights training are set to be organised for South Sudan Prisons Services and South Sudan National Police Services.
UN Women and UNDP, with United Nation Mission in South Sudan as a technical partner, are supporting gender mainstreaming in security sector reform processes under a project financed by the Peacebuilding Fund.
