As part of ongoing efforts to commemorate International Women’s Day on 8 March, UNMISS organized a women’s forum in Wau today.

While the global theme for the day this year is “Pledge for Gender Parity”, South Sudan will celebrate under the theme, “Pledge to end early child marriage”.

“This day means paying attention to all kinds of ignorance and subordination we women face in our society,” said Elizabeth Alberto Tiringo, Head of Center for Strategic Studies at Bahr el Ghazal University. 

Ms. Tiringo said given the opportunity to participate, women have great potential to actively contribute to nation building.

She added that South Sudan had adopted a number of national institutional and legal frameworks to empower women and increase their representation in all aspects of governance in the country and to promote gender parity.

“(However), the implementation has remained a big challenge and (this is) contributing to the gender disparity being witnessed in South Sudan,” said Ms. Tiringo.

Linda Ferdinand, Head of Women’s Training and Promotion in Wau, noted that early marriage is one of the biggest challenges and is encouraged by age-old harmful traditional and cultural practices.

“It is only through awareness raising in our community and educating our girls that this issue can be addressed,” Ms. Ferdinand emphasized.

Rita Gaudensio, an official at the Bank of South Sudan in Wau, said the responsibility to achieve gender parity lies with every member of every household.

“Maybe, we as women are not encouraging gender equality among our children at home in providing equal opportunity for our boys and girls,” she said. “Change begins at home.” 

All participants at the forum shared similar sentiments on how society can better promote and protect women’s rights by exerting a coordinated effort beginning from households to policy makers.