Women activists from different civil society groups today requested four places in the National Constitutional Review Commission and asked members holding constitutional posts to be removed immediately from the Commission.
The commission was sworn-in yesterday and President Salva Kiir Mayardit said the commission should continue to dialogue with the civil society organizations concerning the views of the people and civic education on the process.The Chairperson of South Sudan Women Constitutional Review Taskforce, Aguil Dechut Deng, said in a press conference in Juba that her group was asking for the immediate appointment of four women from the civil society organizations to the National Constitutional Review Commission.
She added the people holding constitutional posts in the government should be removed because of the conflict of interests the process may generate.
Ms Dechut called on the minister at the presidency to arrange a meeting between President Kiir and women’s organisations and women’s faith based groups to further discuss their concerns and grievances.
She said all women appointed in the National Constitutional Review Commission represent political parties and no woman from the civil society was appointed.
Ms Dechut added that the appointment did not meet the 25 percent women affirmative action provided by the South Sudan Transitional Constitution, 2012 to promote women’s participation in all levels of governance.