Some officials, from different institutions in Eastern Equatoria State, have appealed to women in top governance, to collaborate with their colleagues at grassroots level, to increase representation.
They were speaking during the closing of a two day workshop on gender sensitivity, organized by UNMISS’ gender unit in collaboration with ETWAK.
Youths reprehensive, Cornelius Attangaluk, says collaborating with women at the grassroots level helps build their capacity and mentor them with leadership skills.
“If a woman is not capable, she cannot be represented in any decision making, one of the thing we should do is to build their capacity, making them capable of what they are supposed to do. We have mentorship in leadership skills through exposure visit, so we should try to relate our women to the international communities, to some other civilized world on how their women are doing their own things. Women in leadership should build their relationship with women at the grassroots level to inspire them, bring yourself down not to leave your dignity but come down so that you rise up with some other women and make them to see that they can do it as you do”, she encouraged.
Another woman, Afore Markson, urges the government and private sectors to offer employment opportunity to women, at all levels without limitations.
“We need to employ women in various institutions of the government. When you go and assess within the government, you will find the number of women is less, like in the judiciary, you will find no woman is there as a judge, only men. Women should be promoted, these units here of organized forces men are the one all, does it means that women are not able to be part and partial of that ranking? Involve women in decision making, you know some of the decisions here carried out without the consultation of a women, of which they even miss some of the basic needs of women, this is not good and even in ‘amangat’ when they are deciding about a village, about the constitutions or what, they don’t call women” Markson stressed.
Ibura Stella challenges the government to follow up women representation at different sectors.
“There is need for awareness creation to the grassroots level on the importance of women representation, advocacy for women. There is a need for follow up or monitoring of women representation in all ministries and private sectors not only in the government, we need to encourage women to join political parties, the we also have to advocate for government to allocate proper budget for women support”, said Stella.
The speakers made the remarks to Radio Emmanuel at Women Center, as part of their recommendations to the government as per the Revitalized Peace Agreement.