By Taban Tom Henry
Eastern Equatoria State government has on Friday revealed that they have enacted laws to penalize GBV perpetrators across the state.
This came during a two-day awareness campaign organized in Moti Boma of Ifuotu Payam by Women Initiative for Transformation and Empowerment with support from the Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Diocese of Torit funded by PAX.
Speaking during the occasion, Santo Otong the Eastern Equatoria State Director for Administration and Finance in the State Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare says that their ministry has enacted laws set to penalize GBV perpetrators.
He however mentioned that the by-law is currently in the hands of the executive awaiting to be taken to parliament to be signed into law.
“The ministry of gender has written a by law and the by law is very strong and it is still with the executive after that it will go to the assembly and once its passed and becomes a law and fixed in the constitution of South Sudan, we shall start giving awareness and that will be the time we shall open our eyes on children. You who is sending your son to the garden instead of going to school you will face the consequents you be jailed and in the by law indicates how many months, years and charges incurred for GBV perpetrators they are ready, we wanted all the children to go to school. Any body who happens to give his child for marriage before his time comes will face the law all are inside the by law,” he said.
Otong directs chiefs to pull up their socks to monitor parents forcing their children into marriage at a young age.
He advises to send both boys and girls to school so that they attain a brighter future. “Chief you need to be very strong to take people sending their children for marriage when they are still very young, we call that selling of children because you the child is still you but you end up sending her for marriage instead of going to school your sending him or her for marriage to block his future and making to be a villager we shall not leave you we need all of us to prosper
Meanwhile, William Otek Garsiano the Moti Boma Chief in Ifuotu Payam of Torit County urges parents to report gender-related crimes to the concerned authorities.
He says those who fail to report such crimes will face the law
‘’if some body did raping and you kept quite with it at home you don’t bring report you have problem, if somebody take your child while age still not reached marriage level you kept guite with it at home you have problem ,this are the thing they are