Women's rights organizations in South Sudan are renewing calls for authorities to accelerate the passage of the long-delayed Anti-Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Bill. They say stronger legal protections are urgently needed to improve women's access to justice. The call was made during a four-day consultative workshop in Juba, which aimed to review progress made and challenges facing the Anti-GBV Bill.
The workshop was organized by Global Voices Organization South Sudan in collaboration with Equality Now and the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare. The initiative seeks to strengthen women's access to justice, with a particular focus on young women. The symposium focused on developing common advocacy messages and clear demands for the government, parliament, and other stakeholders to strengthen women's rights and access to justice in South Sudan.
Josephine Chandiru, Executive Director of Global Voices Organization (GVO), said the legislation aims to bridge information gaps and build consensus on concrete actions to advance legal reforms. She emphasized that the temporary absence of a functioning parliament should not stop stakeholders from continuing their work on legal reforms. Chandiru added that the parliament will eventually resume work.
The consultative workshop reviewed progress made and challenges facing the Anti-GBV Bill, the Maputo Protocol, and the Family Law Bill. Chandiru said the symposium identified limited funding and civil society organizations working in silos as key challenges affecting advocacy efforts. She urged authorities to keep citizens informed about the progress of the Anti-GBV Bill and the challenges delaying its advancement.
The Anti-GBV Bill is currently before the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs. Chandiru revealed that community focal persons and referral pathways help connect survivors with health facilities, police, legal aid providers, and psychosocial support services. Global Voices Organization offers survivors free legal advice, counseling, and legal representation.
Chandiru emphasized that communities need to help survivors understand their rights and available services. She added that the best way of helping a person is to show them where to go, and survivors of gender-based violence must report barriers that prevent reporting abuse and accessing services.
The "Justice for Her" campaign, under which the workshop was held, seeks to strengthen women's access to justice in South Sudan. Women's rights groups are pushing for the enactment of the Anti-GBV Bill, which they believe will provide stronger legal protections and improve women's access to justice.
Key points
- Women's rights groups in South Sudan are calling for the acceleration of the Anti-GBV Bill to improve women's access to justice.
- The bill aims to bridge information gaps and build consensus on concrete actions to advance legal reforms.
- The "Justice for Her" campaign seeks to strengthen women's access to justice, with a particular focus on young women.
