There has been a rise in cases of gender-based violence, forced and early marriages in Rumbek despite the existence of customary laws and prohibitory orders in Lakes State

By Anak Dut

Rumbek County has seen an upsurge in cases of gender-based violence, forced and early marriages despite the existence of the customary laws and a public order of 2022 by the state Parliament prohibiting such vices.

It  is this worrying trend that has pushed Elizabeth Henry Angok, the chairperson of South Sudan Women in Local Government Association (WILGA), to embark on a regional tour of the country’s states and its three administrative areas  to access the number of women in local government and the role they are playing in mitigating gender-based violence among other issues affected women that have disturbingly been on the rise.

In Lakes State, her tour is coupled by a two-days training that is aimed at prevention and response to Gender-based violence(GBV) and Sexual Gender-based violence (SGBV) in the states. The training is also intended to create awareness at the community levels.

During her tour of the states, Elizabeth said that she noted a number of challenges faced by the women, the main one being inadquate women advocates on gender violence and sexual gender violence.

This, she says, creates a wide gap on awareness and capacity-building.Through this visit and a realization of the many available gaps, she says her office will address these challenges.

“We want to link them with the issues of GBV because it’s common in the local government, in the grassroots, where we have leaders and issues that are closer to the communities.”

Elizabeth called for equal women representation in leadership at the local government and community levels, emphasizing on the importance of local leaders in delivering grassroot services.

“It (local governments) is close with the people. It’s the bridge between people  and the government, and the central government. We need you people to work together with them, respect the female leaderships even at community level. We need  women chiefs also to be respected,” she said.

Martha Adior, a local government administrator said there is need for proper communication skills between the communities and the officials. 

“We need to develop our communication skills. Most  people create violence through poor communication. Poor feedback by an individual can also light the fires,” he said.

She further called on the the communities to always seek for help and support through the administrators since they are the closest to them.

“Report any violence melted on you or others. Nobody is going to expose your situation or what you have been going through and seek for help but yourselves,”Adior advised.

The two days training by WILGA was supported by the Department of Gender at UNMISS, Rumbek.

WILGA was formed in 2021 as an  association for women in local government and in the community.