South Sudanese women urged to protect girls against SGBV

The UNFPA regional director, Lydia Zigomo, implored women to rise against sexual and gender-based violence facing young girls.

Zigomo said the South Sudanese women have a role to play in ensuring their daughters’ safety.

She said that during her few days in South Sudan, most of her conversations with various groups of women and the government focused on the need to eradicate gender-based violence.

The official noted that cases of sexual and gender-based violence are alarming although not unique to South Sudan.

“Gender-based violence is an issue that is worldwide, not just in countries coming out of conflicts but also in stable, rich countries,” she noted.

“I think we need to make a considerable effort to change society’s attitudes as the country develops.”

She was reacting to the tribulations of a group of women at the PoC-3 in Juba who narrated that their girls were compelled to drop out of school as a result of rape, early marriage and forced marriage.

“Because there is no one to stand with us and others forced to marry early, simply because our voices are not considered,” Rebecca Nyakot, the women’s representative at PoC, told UNFPA’s regional director last week.

Zigomo believes that women’s roles in reducing and protecting GBV against their daughters would be the most effective way to reduce such incidents in any society.

She vowed to represent women of color and bring their voices to those who could aid them.

“I am a mother and have a daughter just like you. It is our responsibility as women to ensure that those girls and our children have a different, better reality and experience than ours,” she said.

UNDP estimates that 65 per cent South Sudanese girls fall victim to GBV in their lifetime.