South Sudan: Speaking up against gender-based violence is a recognition of women’s and girls' rights
For a male in a predominantly patriarchal society, pushing for gender equity and equality and ending gender-based violence takes a lot of courage. Anthony Akech Athian, WV South Sudan Protection Coordinator, reflects on the role of men in speaking up and standing together with women to break gender stereotypes and advocate for women and girls’ protection, representation, and empowerment as the world commemorates this year's International Women's Day.
Many communities in South Sudan, including where I come from, pay little attention to various forms of gender-based violence (GBV) explicitly inflicted against women and girls due to their vulnerability caused by inequality and power dynamics in the community exacerbated by socio-cultural norms.
Over 90% of GBV survivors in my country are women and girls. The Food Security and Nutrition Monitoring Systems assessment reported that an estimated 2.6 million people are at risk of facing GBV (South Sudan Humanitarian Needs Overview 2023, November 2022). The review further indicated that 48% of the households surveyed expressed fear and concern about GBV, and 57% of internally displaced women and girls fear getting raped and being forced into marriage. This alarming trend of violence against women and girls violates the human rights of women and girls, including their right to life, right to own property, right to decision-making, expression, and association, right to protection from harmful cultural practices such as forced and early marriages, female genital mutilation, wife inheritance among others. Unfortunately, a patriarchal society like South Sudan still widely embraces these harmful socio-cultural norms.
The campaign to eliminate GBV is everyone's responsibility, and most importantly, men's involvement in this advocacy, whether at the individual, family, or institutional level, is paramount. When men speak up against injustices committed by fellow men against women and girls, their calls leverage, reinforce, and affirm the emphasis that GBV is everyone's concern requiring the voices of both men and women alike to speak against it.
The campaign to eliminate GBV is everyone's responsibility, and most importantly, men's involvement in this advocacy, whether at the individual, family, or institutional level, is paramount. When men speak up against injustices committed by fellow men against women and girls, their calls leverage, reinforce, and affirm the emphasis that GBV is everyone's concern requiring the voices of both men and women alike to speak against it.
I am particularly privileged to have had the courage for the past ten years to be working as a bold male advocate for women's rights, joining forces and voices with women and men with whom we share a common vision of eliminating GBV in our country. At a personal level, I can attest to the milestones achieved and the setbacks. In addition, I have had the opportunity to contribute to the design of the GBV projects that are context relevant to South Sudan and which address the needs of women and girls who are the most affected.
Coordinating multisectoral service provision and building the capacity of the community and all other eminent stakeholders to address the chronic prevalence of GBV in the country collectively has also been a remarkable achievement in my advocacy to end GBV against women and girls. However, it's also essential to note some of the critical setbacks or prejudices I have continuously encountered at the individual and institutional levels.
At the community level, GBV sensitizations offer space to facilitate honest dialogues on major GBV issues such as forced and early marriage, rape, and denial of opportunities such as work, property, education, medication, etc. However, debating such matters is perceived as provocative and against community values, especially in communities where the bride price is paid for one to marry a woman. Some men go as far as to confidently view women as their property because they have paid money and cows to marry them. Others accused male GBV advocates of being cowards and money-loving paid by women and donors to work against community norms. I remember some years back. We commemorated International Women's day at one of our county headquarters. Hundreds of people attended the event and among which a military official was the guest of honor. In his closing remarks, we were surprised to hear him condemn non-government organizations for wasting resources in the name of a special day for women.
Similarly, some participants who attend GBV awareness raisings go as far as questioning whether the male GBV staff was speaking against forced or early marriages that their parents, especially their fathers, practice at home and preach that girls are considered sources of families' wealth and survival.
Coordinating GBV response services for rape victims is also very challenging. Most parents and survivors do not feel safe and comfortable accessing lifesaving interventions such as medical, legal, or security services due to fear of shame and stigma. In addition, direct security threats by the perpetrators against service providers and lack of accountability are frustrating setbacks to achieving gender equality.
Despite the existence of the setbacks derailing the promotion of women's rights in South Sudan, there is hope considering the recent positive steps taken by the transitional government of National Unity government to ratify and consent to international legal instruments such as the International Covenant on the Elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and United Nations Convention on the rights of the child. Most importantly, the government's 35% affirmative action is slowly being implemented. Women are now well represented in all arms of government with the appointment of the country's female vice president and speaker of the national legislative assembly. International development partners and civil society organizations are working to strengthen women's rights promotion at all levels.
As we commemorate this year's International Women's day under the national theme, "Promote Gender Equality through Innovative Technology towards a better South Sudan," I hope that all stakeholders, including South Sudan's Unity Government and humanitarian partners like World Vision, will triple efforts to mobilize funds and optimally take necessary measures to empower women and girls including those at the grassroots for better realization of their human rights with particular focus on gender equality through innovative technology specifically in the area of maternal health and education.
Story by Anthony Akech Athian, WV South Sudan Protection Coordinator. Photo ©WorldVisionSouthSudan