, in partnership with Oxfam, has launched a two-day workshop to strengthen women’s participation in peacebuilding, security, and leadership as South Sudan prepares for elections.){kind=link}
By: Ginaba Lino
The Young Women Christian Association (YWCA), in partnership with Oxfam, has launched a two-day workshop to strengthen women’s participation in peacebuilding, security, and leadership as South Sudan prepares for elections.
The project, funded by the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), was held under the theme “From Participation to Leadership: Empower Women for Peace and Security,” bringing together 50 participants from women-led organizations, community women leaders, young women, and other stakeholders from Central Equatoria State.
The workshop focused on understanding the electoral context and women’s participation, transformative leadership, women, peace and security, and the localization of UNSCR, and international dialogue and monitoring.
Speaking at the opening, YWCA Executive Director Namisio Joy Bage urged women, particularly young women, to take a more active role in leadership and the country’s political processes.
“As South Sudan moves towards elections, we want to know: where are the women? Where are the young women? What can we do, how can we participate, and what do we need to do to build a better South Sudan?”
She called for stronger mentorship between experienced women leaders and younger women seeking to enter leadership, saying intergenerational collaboration can help build confidence and create pathways for young women to take up leadership roles.
“Leadership is not only in higher positions, but also in the positions that you hold in your communities. Your voice matters,” she said.
Bage encouraged participants to use the workshop to share experiences, build networks and develop practical strategies to increase women’s participation in leadership and peacebuilding.
Meanwhile, the Oxfam Acting Country Director for South Sudan Asamtnew Kasa said women’s participation is essential to building lasting peace and credible democratic processes in South Sudan.
“True democracy and lasting peace cannot be built without the hands, minds and collective leadership of women,” Kasa said.
He said electoral periods can expose women to heightened political and security risks, while emphasizing that women should not be treated as passive observers of peace and political processes.
“Women are not passive observers of peace. You are the anchor of your communities, the steady force behind local peace and the rightful architects of South Sudan’s future.”
Kasa also highlighted the relevance of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, saying its principles should translate into practical measures that protect women and strengthen their participation in public life.
He said the workshop would focus on transformative leadership, women-led safety and early-warning mechanisms, and strategies to ensure women’s concerns remain part of the electoral process.
Kasa thanked YWCA and the participating women-led organizations for their continued work and urged participants to use the workshop to speak openly, build solidarity and develop practical solutions.
“When women are safe, organized and leading, peace is not just a promise or a dream; it becomes a reality,” he said.
The two-day workshop comes as South Sudan prepares for its first general elections, with women’s organizations and civil society groups continuing to call for greater inclusion of women and young people in political and peacebuilding processes.