Growing Safety Fears for Women
In Torit this week, delegates of the Eastern Equatoria Women’s Union voiced alarm over what they describe as a surge in intimidation, sexual violence and harassment targeting women across South Sudan.
Deputy chair Flora Anyoo Charles argued that daily mobility has become “a calculated risk” for many women, urging authorities to treat security concerns as a constitutional priority rather than an isolated crime problem.
Calls for Constitutional Guarantees
Activists told the workshop that clear, enforceable clauses on gender-based violence would offer women stronger legal footing and signal that the state will prosecute offenders without exception.
“We have endured a painful transition,” Charles said, “yet our voices still struggle to move from the periphery to the heart of lawmaking.”
Federal Vision and Resource Debate
Legal officer Morris John Peter of the Support Peace Initiative Development Organisation reported broad consensus on a federal democratic structure, with 70 percent of locally generated revenue remaining in states and 30 percent sent to Juba.
Participants argued that devolved finance could fund provincial policing and social programmes that particularly benefit women and youth.
Community Voices and Next Steps
Ministry of Parliamentary and Legal Affairs representative Fredrick Pasquale said the ongoing symposium is collecting suggestions on merit-based appointments, a strengthened Bill of Rights and maintaining the 35 percent affirmative-action quota for women.
Funded by UNDP’s Access to Justice Strengthening Programme, the forum expects to forward its final report to the National Constitutional Review Commission before the next drafting session.