[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ theme_builder_area=”post_content” _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” type=”4_4″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP AND EMPOWERMENT<\/strong><\/p>\n Women\u2019s political empowerment in South Sudan is heavily constrained by structural and cultural barriers that limit female representation in governance. These barriers include the sluggish implementation of the 35% gender quota outlined in the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS), widespread illiteracy, deeply ingrained patriarchal norms, and ongoing conflict. \u00a0<\/p>\n At the grassroots level, women’s political empowerment remains severely marginalized despite national commitments. Traditional customary laws, high illiteracy, and deeply entrenched patriarchal structures restrict women from formal political participation, while local leadership structures remain overwhelmingly male-dominated. Expanding the 35% gender quota from the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement (R-ARCSS) to grassroots and community levels faces significant systemic and cultural challenges.\u00a0<\/p>\n Our strategies for improving women’s political empowerment at the national and local levels include, deliver women\u2019s leadership and mentorship programs that accelerate career growth through blended training combining mentorship, peer networking, and skills-based workshops\u2014to build executive competencies like negotiation, strategic planning, and conflict resolution, holding political parties accountable for the 35% gender quota mandated by the R-ARCSS. This involves advocating for clear internal rules, defined selection processes, and strict penalties for non-compliance within the government, building Civil Society Coalitions:<\/strong> Fostering collaboration among local women-led organizations to present a unified political agenda, share resources, and amplify the voices of women during constitution-making and electoral processes, engaging Traditional and Religious Leaders: Work directly with chiefs, clan elders, and faith leaders to frame women’s political participation as culturally beneficial for community peace, family welfare, and local development. Involving these gatekeepers reduces community backlash, partner with local civil society organizations (CSOs) to deliver localized, language-specific civic and voter education. Tailored adult literacy programs help women confidently run for local councils, negotiate with clan leaders, and understand their rights under the Constitution and the Maputo Protocol, establishing community-level leadership hubs where experienced female politicians, peacebuilders, and activists mentor aspiring young women. This builds solidarity and prepares women to navigate a male-dominated and strengthen the monitoring and enforcement of the 35% quota within local peace-building committees, county commissions, and customary dispute resolution bodies, ensuring tangible consequences for deliberate non-compliance.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP AND EMPOWERMENT Women\u2019s political empowerment in South Sudan is heavily constrained by structural and cultural barriers that limit female representation in governance. These barriers include the sluggish implementation of the 35% gender quota outlined in the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS), widespread illiteracy, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_angie_page":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-25102891","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.supportwomenaid.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25102891","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.supportwomenaid.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.supportwomenaid.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.supportwomenaid.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.supportwomenaid.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25102891"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.supportwomenaid.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25102891\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25102893,"href":"https:\/\/www.supportwomenaid.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25102891\/revisions\/25102893"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.supportwomenaid.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25102891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}