Central Equatoria State Governor Emmanuel Adil Anthony (pictured) has challenged women to be proactive and aggressive to ensure they grab opportunities in leadership positions.

The governor addressed the press at his office in Juba on Monday, March 8, where he challenged women to continue mounting efforts to show their merit. His speech came at time that women marked the International Women’s Day with the theme ‘choose to challenge.’

 “I believe that the 2021 Women’s Day Celebration shall be a landmark history of the state [and] that women are worth to trust and there the best caretaker of society and determinacy of ambitions for peace,” he said.

The governor quoted the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the conflict in the country [R-ARCSS], article 1.4.4; which he said had an opportunity to minimise the gaps for barring women from participating in matters of leadership and governance.

“This opportunity is a right that [has] long [been] deprived by our negative cultural and traditional practices,’’ he said.  

He urged women to pursue education and claim their rights as envisaged by the 2018 peace deal.

This challenge extended to women in leadership. She called on them to support their younger colleagues and relatives so that the gender parity dream can be realised.

 “As we celebrate the international woman’s day in CES, women leaders that are in private and public sectors should take up the challenge to champion positive change in attitudes and behaviours of both men and women.

“We need to change our attitudes so that the women participation in public and private life [can have] greater commitment and courage with determination to build from strong education background and desires to save public interest,” he said.

Emmanuel promised all women ‘commitment at all the CES to for women’s emancipation and participation in driving forward ambitions’ to build sustainable peace.

“For this reason, in CES we are posting women to lead in the state strategic and key social economic and governor’s sectors to steer the state. These measures are intended to build confidence and to enable smooth transition for equal participation,’’ the governor said.