South Sudan Women’s Social and Economic Empowerment has launched a four-year seventy-million-dollar project funded by the World Bank.
The money will be channeled through the Government Treasury with the Ministry of Gender Child and Social Welfare the implementing agency.
South Sudan Vice President, Rebecca Nyadeng de, Mabior says the 70 million US dollars will enhance the situation of women, and girls in the country.
The project hopes to increase girls and women’s access to livelihood, entrepreneurial, and GBV services.
Nyadeng says over 48 thousand will be direct beneficiaries of which 30,000 are women and 6,000 are adolescent girls, and 12,000 are males.
Nyadeng says she has been moving around the neighboring countries looking for support for women, girls, and youth in South Sudan.
“When I visited Washington, I went to visit financial institutions and I appealed to them to help our women, and World Bank without delay, they commit themselves to help our women and young girls of this Country.”
She adds that her office will do its best to make sure that they move together with the partners in the project.
She regrets the slow implementation of the peace process that delays more development in South Sudan.
“Thanks so much, World Bank for the quick implementation of the project even though as the government we are still on it, especially on the implementation of the Roadmap it is slow, but I can say we are in the right direction.”
The Vice President assures women and young girls of South Sudan of the struggle their leaders are doing to make sure that they meet their needs.
The Minister of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare Aya Benjamin Warile says, the project will help establish the women’s economic empowerment centers as spaces for livelihoods.
Aya states that the project will also finance social skills training for women, girls, and boys on financial literacy, and value change skills.
“This project is funded by the World Bank and the project will finance the establishment of the Women’s Economic Empowerment Centers as a space for livelihood and social skills training to women, girls, and boys on financial and value change skills.”
The Ministry of Gender says its door will be open for media houses to know how the money from the project is used.
Aya adds that the citizens of South Sudan will have the right to hold her ministry accountable if they don’t deliver the services through the project.
“One of the areas that we are concerned and serious about is that this is an opportunity that is given to us as a government, but also as the Ministry to prove that we can do it. And with all the support around us, we should be able to be held accountable, South Sudanese will hold us accountable for what we are going to do.”
“We are very much concerned about transparency, even then in every stage, the media is welcome”, the Minister of Gender says.
She thanks the World Bank for supporting the Ministry of Gender to develop the terms of reference and the recruitment of the staff who are going to manage the project.
The Country Director for Eritrea, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Sudan Ousman Dionen, on behalf of the World Bank, assures the Ministry of Gender it will continue supporting the well-being of women.
Ousman says women in South Sudan deserve to be educated and make progress in every sector.
The Government calls on South Sudanese to redouble their efforts to fight the mindset of discrimination between men and women.