The conflict plaguing parts of South Sudan is continuing to cause unimaginable suffering, with the latest statistics showing that at least 65 percent of women and girls in the country experience physical, sexual or gender-based violence in their life

“These acts are more than mere statistics. They are profound violations of human rights that fracture the very fabric of our society. They rob our mothers, sisters and daughters of their dignity and place an immense burden on our future,” says South Sudan’s Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare, Aya Warille. “This is not just a women’s issue, it a societal crisis that speaks to the core of our humanity.”

To tackle this scourge, South Sudan has launched its first national taskforce to combat gender-based and conflict related sexual violence, with the government describing the initiative as “by us, for us”.

Speaking at the launch, Vice-President, Rebecca Nyandeng Garang, said described it as the start of a mission to create a safer, more just society.

“This taskforce represents our collective recognition of the urgent need to confront gender-based violence and conflict-related sexual violence,” she said.  “These challenges we are speaking of are not so distant from us. They are present in our homes, in our communities and in the lives of those we love. As a mother and a grandmother, I cannot imagine the pain of seeing my daughter or yours suffering in silence, abandoned with a broken spirit. As a leader, I know we cannot build a strong nation if half of our people are living in fear.”

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) protects women and girls through proactive peacekeeping patrols, the establishment of temporary bases in conflict hotspots, and investigating and reporting on grave violations against children.

The UN family has also supported the development of the taskforce to help build South Sudan’s own capacity to prevent and respond to this challenge, particularly with intercommunal conflict persisting across the country. 

“This taskforce will collect information from the grassroots, they will analyze it, and they will see where the most urgent action and intervention is needed. That will be the strongest tool of this taskforce. It will be an early warning mechanism but also a prevention mechanism so that local authorities are alerted in due time where to react and how to react,” explained UNMISS Gender Affairs Officer, Vedad Imsirovic.

“It is about prevention, empowering survivors, holding perpetrators accountable and fostering an environment where every individual can thrive without fear,” stressed Minister Aya Warille.

The UN is also calling for urgent action to also fast-track a new anti-gender-based violence law, establish specialized courts, a family protection center and dedicated fund for victims, as well as a campaign to change social norms that perpetuate this violence.

“We are committed to supporting South Sudan in realizing its vision, it’s vision of a peaceful, a prosperous, a stable South Sudan that is secure and where no one, least of all its women and girls are left behind,” stated Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Anita Kiki Gbeho.

The country’s Vice-President emphasized the importance of prevention, justice and healing as the key three pillars of work needed to end this violence against women.

“I have seen the incredible resilience of our women. They are the backbone of our families and communities,” she said. “But we cannot keep asking them to carry the burden of resilience alone. They deserve more than our admiration. They deserve action. They deserve to live in a country where they are valued, respected and safe.”