Achiro Rose
More than seventy women from various institutions in Juba have attended a three-day workshop on leadership, political participation, gender mainstreaming, and peacebuilding in South Sudan.
The training is being organized by the National Press Club (NPC) commenced on Tuesday and will conclude this week August 9th, 2024.
Executive director of NPC, Ochaya James says the training will equip women to tackle customary norms that block equal participation of women effectively in different sectors both government and private institutions.
He argued that customary law becomes stronger than the law in the country that favors men and undermines women’s participation.
Mr. Ochaya expressed the need to harmonize the law in the country and make them a gender-just law that does not prevent women and girls exercise their rights in politics.
“This program is a means to see how could we address the social norms and cultural various that hinder women’s participation in leadership.”
“We targeted different stakeholders including chiefs at the Payam and Bomas levels and women representatives from the grassroots. This will help to address the challenges and engage the political parties to make sure that women are also given equal opportunity as men,” he said.
National Member of Parliament Hon. Yar Telar Ring, the Deputy Chairperson of Women Caucus TNLA urges women not to only be involved in the private sector.
She encourages them [women] to take part in the security and economic sectors to promote development.
“It is important to know that women have founder mental role in the peacebuilding Women come in with the role of reconciliation, women coming with reconciliation women come with the role of economic reform women coming with the importance of education and they play a key role in helping to actually breach conflict and understand how this conflict come about and the solution to it.”
Hon. Yar discourages the inability of women to lead in key positions saying there many competent females who can be given a chance at the decision-making table.
“You know we have always been told that women are not competent, but overall the men who are representing us there are things that need to be approached if a man is not competent he also does not deserve that position.”
“I would also urge the other women who are here to make sure that our 35% sealed agreement works let’s all push for competency we also going use the same way we cannot be the thing that women are not competent yet if you see another mon talking you will event,” Yar stated.