8 March 2013 - The only real gift parents could give their daughters was education, as it would empower them throughout their lives, an UNMISS official said today in Juba at Central Equatoria State celebrations for International Women's Day.

"It is through education that girls are going to be able to say no to early marriage," said Ruth Kibiti, the Acting Head of the UNMISS Gender Unit. "It is through education that girls will be able to sustain development at the family, community and national levels."

As the rest of the world celebrated the day under the theme, "The Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum", the South Sudanese government focused on education with the slogan, "The Gender Agenda: Education for women and girls".

Ms. Kibiti also read UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's message, which focused on the UN theme, "A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women".

"We renew our pledge to combat this global health menace wherever it may lurk – in homes and businesses, in war zones and placid countries, and in the minds of people who allow violence to continue," Ms. Kibiti quoted from the message.

Central Equatoria State Minister for Gender and Social Development Mary Apai stressed the need to address rampant violence against women in the state and across the country.

She said her ministry had set up a joint unit with the South Sudan National Police Services (SSNPS) to address gender-based violence.

"It looks like a small office, but big things are happening in there," she said. "When you look at the number of women in the military and police here today, you can see that we have gained momentum."

Emphasizing that education and empowerment were necessary to gain even more momentum, she said it was "up to women to raise their profile".
"Let us leave the guns and the revolutions that some people are still focusing on," she said. "Let us go for education."

In remarks read for her, Chairperson of the Women's Union Jennifer Kujang said it was time for people to stop looking at empowerment of women as a war against men.

"It is part of the same struggle to achieve sustainable development," she said.
School children as well as music and drama groups sang and read poems for the hundreds of people at the event, asking the government to provide empowerment and protection from violence.

Several organizations, including UN agencies, also held exhibitions of the work they do to empower women.