By Ginaba Lino
The Government of South Sudan, through the National Ministry of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare, has signed a $70 million agreement with the World Bank to implement the Workforce Data Collection Project.
This initiative aims to enhance girls’ and women’s access to livelihoods, entrepreneurship opportunities, and services addressing gender-based violence (GBV).
The project’s primary objective is to empower women and girls by improving the country’s social workforce. It will gather data to develop a long-term strategic plan for workforce capacity building and support, contributing to social development across South Sudan.
During the launch of the project, Minister Aya Benjamin Warille of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare emphasized the need for cooperation among stakeholders to ensure the project’s success.
“It is important that all of us willingly participate and cooperate with our partners, Hold the Child and others, to gather the necessary information and data on our social workforce. This will help us implement this part of the project successfully,” said Minister Aya.
The project includes identifying social workers and developing a comprehensive training curriculum for at least 450 social workers. UN Women Program Specialist, Monalisa Zatjirua, highlighted the critical role of strengthening the social workforce to deliver services related to child protection, vulnerable groups, and social welfare.
“We are excited to work with Hold the Child under the leadership of the Minister to ensure this activity is completed within the set timeframes, and to achieve the outcomes of this important project,” Monalisa Zatjirua said.
The project was officially launched in Juba and is expected to conclude in December 2024.