April 1st 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – A group of South Sudanese women led by outspoken female opposition leader, Suzanne Jambo, demanded on Monday in a petition extended to the Nyamilepedia that they (South Sudanese women) are equally represented and included in the ongoing peace process.
“Women must be immediately included by all concerned parties in any on-going and future peace agreements and processes. The time has come for women to be centrally included in the upcoming Government of National Unity, TGoNU scheduled for May 2019,” they said in the petition. “[South Sudan] women will not accept any periphery or token posts.”
The petition partly said although South Sudan’s women – who make up 65% of the country’s overall population – pays the cost of the ongoing civil war, they victims of South Sudan’s tradition of excluding women from decision-making process as well as from the ongoing IGAD-led peace process.
“We, [the] South Sudanese women and girls, who are 65% of the population, are the ones who bear wars and violence most brunt; rape, sexual violence, physical and health vulnerability and poverty in general. Yet we have been excluded from decision-making historically and the IGAD’s peace processes on South Sudan’s conflict resolution by the mediators and all parties,” the petition partly read.
The petition said the ignorance against their potential is because they “don’t carry guns neither command government military nor armed rebellions.” In addition, the petition said the women are ignored because they “abhor the death of our children, husbands and our own death.”Â
They said although the agreement has entered its sixth month, March 2019, non of the parties involved in the agreement seems to be concerned about the inclusion of South Sudan’s women in the peace process.
“We are very concerned that to-date, March 2019, no authority seems concerned to meaningfully include women in any decision-making processes,” they added.
They further demanded that women are allowed to occupy key government ministries such as that of finance, defense, interior, education, foreign affairs and health in all national and state levels, including as governors adding that there “are enough competent, committed, non-corrupt, non-violent and nationalistic women in South Sudan.”
Also those whgo signed the petititon includes: Kaidi Cleto Rial, Jennifer Baithpath Majuac, Akuany Mane Nyandeng, Sarah Halliday, Janty Juan Abrama, Rose Din, Halla Faustino Roro, Pastor Betty Almas, Ajak Beny, Nyalilit Batim, Awut Dut, Viola Haggi, Matilda Robert Kanisio, Okeny Anthony and Stella Lomeling.
