As part of 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence, UNMISS launched a human rights awareness campaign at Juba Day Secondary School today.

Addressing the event, Simon Numori, Chairperson of the South Sudan Human Rights Commission, Central Equatoria, said the state should produce copies of a legal document on girl-child rights.

“As a girl of the age from about15 onwards in secondary school, at least you should know what the law says about you,” he said. ‘I think we should -- maybe in collaboration with UNMISS -- get as many copies as possible and distribute to students.”

 He also encouraged students to read the constitution of Central Equatoria State.

“As a student you are supposed to equip yourselves with as much knowledge as possible, including the law, so that you know exactly what rights are there for you,” the chairperson said.

He said peace and development would not prevail without respect for human rights.

“Where there are no human rights there is no development,” Mr. Numori said. “Where there is no development there is no peace. Where there is no peace there is poverty.”

UNMISS Human Rights Officer Isaiah Lauro said students should know their rights so that no one violated them.

“It is important for you to understand your rights for you to be able to defend them and avoid people from infringing on them,” he said.

The rights of women were not protected, noted UNMISS Human Rights Officer Mach Koat Rik. “In some societies girls are denied access to education. They are kept at home while boys are allowed to attend school.”

Stressing that the spirit of equality should prevail, Mr. Rik said it was a collective responsibility to yearn for freedom and respect human rights.

Juba Day student Lokolong John said the school lacked a human rights club to help boost awareness about such issues.

“We are appealing to South Sudan Human Right Commission, Central Equatoria State, to set up a human rights club in the school so that students are aware of the human rights issues,” he said

Hassan Harun, another student, lamented that the police failed to defend human rights. “I witnessed a case where a woman was beaten by her husband and she reported the case to police, who said it is a discipline case.”