Women in Eastern Equatoria State have voiced out there concerns that they are
being undermined in various office positions as they are not given equal
opportunities as men.
State Police Officer, Hellen Simon, says women are not always promoted as Major
or Brigadier Generals, but are reserved as cooks.
“For those one putting on uniforms, there is no day you can see a woman is Major
General or a brigadier, always they take us and push us behind, because there is
always promotion to men, we the women are always put as cooks even if you are
learned though sometimes you will get time to go out, but the one who is
uneducated, even if is full with military knowledge will still be push backward, that is
what is paining us the women in the army, by all means we need our rights//Hellen
Simon-Police”.
A member from the State HIV Commission, Gisma Lolik Adam, claims that men
holding bigger positions tend to mistreat them.
“You will find a young girl or a woman working in the office, the boss will miss tread
her because of the position he has, he can do every nonsense to her because she is
just a woman, and she cannot say anything because if you try to do anything you will
be sucked out from the office and you will lose your job and your life will be in mess,
and you will be with fear because you are a woman, for am a woman, I would like to
tell every woman, every girl should not fear her right as a woman if at any office you
come across such, you should not fear but voice out”, Gisma Lolik Adam-member
HIV Commission.
Betty Konio argues that there are some men who are not educated and they do not
know anything.
“The issue of education is not paramount because if we are to asses, who said the
men are educated, the men are not educated, but you can find a man is a Major
General, a man is a commissioner but does not know anything, these men want to
create fear in people, you will find in all the working place all the positions that are
sensitive even if it is for a woman, they will bring a man and put there the woman can
only be attached there and later if there is any meeting, the woman will not be call to
get her idea. Secondly needs of women at their working places are not being
addressed may be she will begin to experience menstruation, she may need to bath,
she need soap all these are not//Betty Konio-Police
Omuk Women Organization Gender and Child Protection Officer, Otwari Thomas
calls for training of women on decision making and leadership skills.
“There is need to build adult schools to empower those who are unlearned at least to
catch up with those who are educated, secondly, there is need for more
empowerment of women in leadership and decision making process, there is need to
build their capacities and there is need to build their leadership skills through
trainings”, said Otwari Thomas Marino.
Joyce Amito Obwoya encourages women to speak out so that their rights are
respected.
“We have to have a mentorship program for young women and girls, so that they will
have the courage in order for them to depend on themselves. You have to voice up,
so the more you keep quit, the more they will still say we are not yet aware but if you
are aware a bit, you talk, they will say she knows, we should give her, we have to
look for ways on how to get the legal framework, you are advice to google and see
what does it talk about so that when you talk about your rights, you know where you
are standing, so that you can depend yourself alone”, Joyce Amito Obwoya,-women
center.
The speakers made the remarks during one day learning on the challenges and
lessons learnt by women in their various working places.
It was organized by Women Agency for Progress Organization or WAPO.