By Scopas Bethuel
In a country where many survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) live in silence, a new initiative is helping journalists and civil society actors find their voices and use them to tell stories that heal rather than harm.
From September 23 to 25, twenty-five journalists and civil society representatives gathered in Juba for a unique three-day workshop aimed at changing how GBV is covered in South Sudan’s media. The training, part of the ResPEct GBV Radio Project, emphasized ethical and survivor-sensitive reporting, bringing together storytellers and those who work daily to support survivors.
“This workshop wasn’t just about journalism, it was about empathy,” said William Mabor, a radio journalist from Radio Good News in Rumbek. “We learned that reporting GBV isn’t only about facts and figures; it’s about protecting dignity and giving survivors the respect they deserve.”
The sessions went beyond newsroom techniques. Participants examined the social and cultural roots of GBV, reflected on harmful stereotypes, and explored various storytelling formats, including feature reports, dramas, talk shows, and public service announcements (PSAs). Each format was seen as a potential tool to challenge stigma and promote dialogue at the community level.
The initiative is implemented by Media in Cooperation and Transition (MiCT) under the wider ResPEct: Stop SGBV – Respond, Prevent, Educate! Project, co-funded by the German Development Cooperation and the European Union, and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
“Radio is one of the few tools that can reach remote communities across South Sudan,” said Klaas Glenewinkel, Managing Director of MiCT. “This collaboration between journalists and civil society is helping us find new, ethical, and locally grounded ways of reporting stories that truly serve those affected.”
Participants collaborate during a group work exercise, September 24, 2025. Photo: MiCTeam
For Ayen Achol Deng, Communications and Gender Specialist at GIZ, the effort is urgently needed. “An estimated 65 percent of women and girls in South Sudan have experienced sexual or physical violence,” she said. “Improving media coverage is part of a larger movement, one that aims to prevent violence, change mindsets, and strengthen civic understanding.”
Over the next nine months, the project will support the production and broadcast of 100 original radio programmes on GBV-related issues across the country. These will feature diverse voices, spark conversations, and connect media efforts with community-based responses to violence.
The training, carried out in partnership with the Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS), was widely praised for its collaborative approach. Participants left not only with new skills but also a renewed sense of responsibility. “We now understand that every word, every soundbite, can either harm or heal,” one participant said.
As the airwaves begin to carry these new, respectful narratives, the hope is that survivors across South Sudan, long silenced by stigma, will finally begin to hear a message that honors their experiences; that their voices matter.