UN Women Chief Highlights Peacekeepers' Role in South Sudan Amidst Gender-Based Violence Crisis

South Sudan's Fragile State and Humanitarian Crisis

• 🌍 South Sudan faces political instability, humanitarian crises, and socioeconomic fragility, further complicated by the ongoing war in neighboring Sudan which has displaced over 1.2 million people.
• ⚠️ Women and girls are disproportionately affected, enduring climate challenges, food insecurity, sexual violence, and abductions.

Gender-Based Violence and Peacekeeper Intervention

• 📈 South Sudan has one of the highest rates of gender-based violence, with an estimated 2.7 million people at risk.
• 🚨 In 2024, UN Mission in South Sudan documented 260 cases of conflict-related sexual violence, including rape, sexual slavery, forced abortion, and forced marriage, with a high concentration in Western Equatoria State.
• 🏫 A recent incident in Warrap State saw UN peacekeepers successfully intervene to de-escalate a situation and free 100 schoolgirls trapped in a girls' boarding school by armed youth.

Critical Need for Continued Peacekeeping Support

• 🆘 UN Women chief Sima Sami Bahous stressed that withdrawing resources and capacity in this fragile environment would be "imprudent at best, catastrophic at worst."
• 💔 Cuts in funding have already led to the closure of health clinics and safe houses, jeopardizing the work of women's organizations.

Progress and Gaps in Women's Peace and Security Agenda

• 🕊️ Seven years after the peace agreement, progress on elections, constitutional reforms, and transitional justice remains delayed.
• ⚖️ The approval of the second national action plan on women, peace, and security is pending, and the proposed 35% gender quota for leadership roles has not yet been fully implemented.
• 📊 Despite some female representation in high offices, women are underrepresented in key decision-making bodies, including parliaments, commissions, and peace talks.

Women's Leadership as a Pathway to Sustainable Peace

• 🤝 Women are actively involved at the grassroots level, forging local peace agreements, resolving conflicts, and collecting weapons from young men and boys.
• 🚀 UN Women advocates for the immediate implementation of the 35% quota and urges the Security Council to maintain support for the UN's work in South Sudan, ensuring a gender lens in budget negotiations.
• ✨ The unwavering resolve, leadership, and courage of South Sudanese women are highlighted as inspirational and essential for achieving a peaceful and prosperous nation.