13 March 2012 - Thousands of Jonglei State residents celebrated International Women's Day in the capital Bor today with speeches, songs, traditional dancing and military parades.

The scene of recent inter-communal conflict, Jonglei commemorated the Day (celebrated worldwide on 8 March) under the theme "Women of South Sudan working together to end inter-tribal violence".

Speaking during the event, State Minister of Social Service Ogato Cham emphasized that hunger, poverty and abduction remained major challenges facing women and children in Jonglei, and called on all to work together in resolving inter-tribal violence and abduction.

"We are here to praise women for their accomplishments, and to call for more action to help them fight against hunger and poverty," the minister said.

Abuk Gabriel, Director of Gender at the Ministry of Social Services, stressed that inter-communal violence remained one of the most severe threats to women in Jonglei.

"The escalation in violence from 2011 has demonstrated once again how vulnerable women are when a political crisis leads to insecurity," Ms. Gabriel said. "This was evident from the recent attacks of December 2011 ... where by the majority of casualties were women and children."

She said her office was working to end gender-based violence and early marriage through advocacy programmes across the state, and was promoting women's empowerment through livelihood training and awareness-raising.

Acknowledging that education was key for future progress, Jonglei State Governor Kuol Manyang Juuk called on people to end early marriages, advising them to consider their girl children as more than a source of dowries and wealth.

"If you marry your daughter before completing her school, you are simply bringing her dreams to an end," the governor said. "The dowry, whether in the form of cows or money, is too little compared with the future wealth she will generate for the rest of her life."

The event coincided with the launching of a civilian disarmament exercise in Jonglei, which officials began on 12 March to control ongoing retaliatory attacks in the state.

Aguil Deng, a human rights activist and peace advocate who came from Australia for the event, urged the state's youth to hand over their guns to government forces and join the Jonglei community for future peace, stability and prosperity.

"Guns are the enemies of future peace and stability and will destroy our strong relationships and cohesion," she said. "Let us hand-over all illegal guns to our government and try to live a life without fear and insecurity."