19 July 2013 - Aiming to help advance women's role in development and peace-building, UNMISS assisted Warrap State Women's Union to hold elections in the state capital Kuajok today.

Hosted by the Ministry of Social Development, 140 delegates from Abyei and Warrap State's six counties cast their votes for Governing Council and Executive Committee members.

"For women in South Sudan (in general) and Warrap State in particular to be empowered, they need to organize themselves very well," said South Sudan Women's Union Chairperson Sarah James. "Let us work for unity among women."

UNMISS, in collaboration with UN Development Programme (UNDP) officials, assisted the union to conduct the elections, which ushered in Rose Acindhel Kacthiek as Executive Committee chairperson and Veronica Nyanut Elerio as Governing Council chairperson.

In assisting, UNMISS staff advised the Electoral Committee on the Union's constitution as well as organizing elections and registering candidates. They also helped with ballots and ballot boxes, the voting room, voter roster and ballot count.

The principal aim of the union according to its constitution, which was drafted with assistance from the UNMISS Judicial Advisory Office, is "to empower women of Warrap State to self-reliance and enable them fully to perform their gender and cultural roles in freedom, liberty and independent life, and play active roles in peace, reconciliation and sustainable development".

The union plans to organize literacy and numeracy programmes for women in Warrap, as well as promote health care delivery, girl-child education and involvement in peace and reconciliation initiatives.