Capacity Building Training for Young South Sudanese Women in Transformational Leadership

^{Participants pause for a group picture.   Photo credits: UN Women/Martha Wanjala}

Nairobi, Kenya: UN Women South Sudan Country Office and the South Sudan Women’s Empowering Network (SSWEN) held Transformational Leadership Training for young South Sudanese women leaders aged between 25 – 38 in Nairobi, Kenya.

The two weeks training aimed at enhancing and equipping Young South Sudanese Women Leaders with transformational leadership skills that will enable them have meaningful engagements and contribution as gender advocates during the transitional period of the Government of National Unity. The training was also to enhance their capacity to influence their community towards nation building and peace building initiatives.

This training followed a National Women’s Peace Conference held in Juba in May 2016 by South Sudanese Women led organizations, who recognized that women’s positioning and participation in leadership is essential and requires leadership skills to effectively engage in the in the Transitional Government to implement the Peace Agreement in the years to come.

^{Group discussions during the training.  Photo credits: UN Women/Martha Wanjala}

“South Sudan has a youthful population with about 70% of its citizens being under 30years. However, young people particularly women are habitually undermined, taken too lightly or excluded in important matters and decisions affecting their lives and nation at large. This kind of capacity building and trainings will help in instilling transformational leadership skills to young women to enhance their leadership capacity in transformational leadership, good governance, women’s economic empowerment and in peacebuilding and conflict resolution which will in turn contribute to the social cohesion and sustainable development,” Said Paleki Mathew Ayang, the Executive Director of SSWEN.

^{Ms. Paleki Mathew Ayang, the Executive Director of SSWEN}

Many of the ladies who attended the training vowed to use the knowledge acquired when they get back home. “I have learnt that I have a lot of potential as a young South Sudanese woman, and I purpose that when I go home, I will pass on these skills and knowledge to other young women who will also be Africa’s leaders, said Elizabeth Achu.

South Sudan is committed to advance the rights of women and has indeed integrated gender progressive measures in the legal framework (TCSS 2011), Elections Act (2008), Gender Policy (2013) and South Sudan Development Plan (SSDP 2016) among others; the inclusion of women in leadership positions has remained a daunting work.

The government of South Sudanese with the support of key partners also established the National Transformational Leadership Institute (NTLI) that endeavors to reach women from all sectors and at all levels with transformational leadership skills, economic empowerment and conflict management and peacebuilding to be able to amplify their voice and influence important policies.