By William Garang
The Ministry of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare, along with key stakeholders, has come together to review the long-awaited Anti-GBV draft bill aimed at protecting survivors’ rights and prosecuting perpetrators of gender-based violence.
A one-day advocacy workshop on the Anti-GBV bill and related legislation was organized by the Ministry of Gender in collaboration with the Christian Agency for Peace and Development and Equality Now.
Themed “Strengthening Advocacy for Gender Equality, Mobilizing Support for Anti-GBV and Related Legislative Framework,” the event brought together various experts and advocates.
Minister Aya Benjamin, in her address to high-level stakeholders, highlighted the bill’s significance in advancing protections against gender-based violence said, “This is a significant step as it comes five years after the bill was first abled in parliament since 2019.” She said, “It underscores the government’s renewed commitment to addressing the alarming rates of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in South Sudan,” she added.
Case of gender-based violence rose to a record high in latest statistic of 2024 in South Sudan.
Between April and June 2024, UN Mission in South Sudan documented 317 violent incidents affecting at least 1062 civilians in the country, including 160 women and 188 infants. This has resulted in death of 442 and leaving 297with injuries.
Based on a report; 197 are abductions, meanwhile 126 individuals were subjected to sexual violence, highlighting a concerning 181 per cent in abduction compared to the same period in 2023.
However, this complied the ministry of Gender to announced the appointment of Anti-GBV taskforce on October 26, 2024 to accelerate the enactments of Anti-GBV Bill to bring down cases.
Besides, the executive director for the Christian Agency for Peace and Development (CAPAD), Peter Malier welcomed Aya’s move to established a taskforce, citing that it would fast-track the bill.
“We welcome the move by the ministry to appoint a task force to accelerate the enactment of the Anti-GBV in our country as it will foster the implementation of the Africa Charter on Rights and Welfare of the child, family law, the child Rights Act of 2008
“And the domestication and implementation of treaties that South Sudan has ratified to ensure the protection of South Sudanese women and girls,” he added.
Nina Masore, a prograamme officer with Equality with Equality Now stated that: “We welcome this move as the Antti-GBV bill seeks to reform and consolidate South Sudan’s on gender-based violence.”
“The Anti-HBV bill encompasses domestic violence, sexual violence, harmful customary practices, child protection and more,” she added.
The Anti-GBV Bill aims to introduce vital structures like the Anti-GBV committee, a specialized fund, family protection centers, and specialized courts. These measures are designed to provide holistic support and protection for victims of gender-based violence in South Sudan, ensuring both legal and practical resources are available.
UN data from the first half of 2018 reported 2,300 cases of sexual violence in South Sudan, ranking it as the second-highest in East Africa, after Uganda. This alarming statistic underlines the urgency of establishing a framework to address and mitigate the high levels of gender-based violence in the country.
The bill aligns with South Sudan’s Transitional Constitution (2011, as amended) and the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict (R-ARCSS, 2018). Specifically, it resonates with Article 16 and Article 17, which emphasize the protection and empowerment of vulnerable groups, underscoring the government’s commitment to safeguarding women and children.
To addressing various forms of Gender-Based Violence—such as sexual, domestic, intimate partner, physical, psychological, and economic violence—the bill also targets harmful customary practices. These include child marriage, forced marriage, polygamy, girl-child compensation, and female genital mutilation, among others, as mandated by relevant constitutional articles.