South Sudan Marks International Women’s Day

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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In juba yesterday morning, women groups marched through the streets in celebration of their day with banners agitating for women empowerment and respect of their rights including putting an end to domestic violence.

The theme of this year in an occasion organized at Nyakuron Cultural Centre after the marching is “empower rural women to end hunger and poverty” set to involve women to fully participate in nation building.

Over 2,000 men and women attended the celebration that saw women aggrieved with the government. The women with disabilities expressed their grievances and called for respect of their rights. They said that the government had given the 25% women representation in government to women without disabilities while neglecting them.

Speaking at the event, the former Minister of Gender, Social and Child Welfare, Mary Kiden Kimbo who is a current member of national parliament representing constituency 10, Kajo-Keji County told women to remain united so as to achieve their goals.

She added that they started organizing themselves in 1985 in Nairobi under the late Juan Rose who was the only grade 3 woman employed in Central Equatoria State.

She further said that women have now risen to ministerial levels and called on the women to fight for their rights and equality with men. She appreciated the government of South Sudan for giving women the 25% representation.

Kiden also urged United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) to translate the child ACT to the local languages so as to help women understand the law especially those in rural areas. She further said that in her county, 30% of the school going girls get impregnated before completing primary education.

Meanwhile the city mayor of Juba County who was the chief guest at the event said that the day that is honoured internationally should have been a public holiday in South Sudan.

He also said that he will employ some of the women with disabilities in his office. This was after they complained of being neglected and discriminated by the government despite the fact that women are given 25% of governance representations.

“I want to take some of the disable women to go and work with me in the city council,” he said. He called on the women to work as a team for the development of the country.