4 August 2014 - An attack on women and children during or after a crisis was not just an attack on an individual, but also on families, communities, rule of law, dignity and humanity, a UN Police (UNPOL) official said in Juba today.

Speaking at the launch of a five-day training for internally displaced people (IDPs) living on UNMISS bases, UNPOL Deputy Chief of Training Brajesh Kumar Singh called for an end to sexual and gender-based violence, which he described as a “global pandemic”.

“No woman should be vulnerable and it begins with us. We need to demonstrate that violence against women is not acceptable,” he said, adding that gender-based violence can be stamped out through education and empowerment.
Some 45 IDPs, including 17 women are attending the training organized by UNPOL and UN Development Programme (UNDP).

It aims to empower the IDPs to respond to different human rights violations like sexual abuse, gender-based violence, child protection and gender issues, and human trafficking.

The training follows discussions with community leaders which raised several concerns, including security of women and vulnerable groups, the UNDP Chief Technical Advisor to the Ministry of Interior Surrendra Kumar Sharma said.

Mr. Sharma noted that UNDP had then come up with a Crisis Recovery Plan to respond to effects of current crisis.

“We have tools at our disposal like community policing, where the police and community work together in partnership in order to address community concerns,” said Mr. Singh. “When successfully executed, it can both develop security and thus secure development in a society.”

He also called for ways to empower women and girls in South Sudan, adding that girls who drop out of school should be assisted to get back so that they can learn basic skills and know their rights in society.

“It is the women who can tell their sons and husbands not to fight,” said Mr. Singh.