Joint Message of Solidarity with South Sudanese women on International Women’s Day 2022

As the world unites to mark International Women’s Day, we are glad to know that South Sudan is not left behind, it is indeed a real pleasure for us to share this joint message of solidarity as your sisters who are proud of your journey of achieving your well-deserved recognition as important partners for the development of your beloved country.  International Women’s Day is a cause for celebrating the resilience and achievement of women. It is a time to pause, re-evaluate, celebrate, and inspire. It is a time to honor loved and admired women in the world and particularly the heroines in our countries. It is also a time when women around the world connect to celebrate and honor women who have inspired us in the past, present, and future in many exciting ways as sisters. However, as we celebrate, let us also bear in mind that there are many women all over South Sudan who contribute to their communities but continue to lack support and recognition

We acknowledge that gender bias exists, and therefore, emphasize the need to break the biases collectively in our communities, firm in the belief that women’s full inclusion in all sectors of society contributes to greater resilience, sustained peace, stability, and overall development of the country.

On this significant day, we want to send a message of solidarity to all the women who persevere in the face of displacement and suffering due to climate change and conflict related violence, many of whom have lost more than we can imagine and continue to support their families and one another in the most difficult of circumstances.

Some of the important lessons that we learn from working with women, and South Sudanese women in particular, is that women living in challenging circumstances are stronger than they may think but might not have the right environment to release their potentials. We therefore encourage you be more supportive of one another and not to shy away from celebrating each other’s success and exploring opportunities to build on your potentials.

We hereby commit to continue to stand by you and support your gender equality journey for a sustained peace, stability, and prosperity of your beloved South Sudan! Happy International Women’s Day. God Bless South Sudan and South Sudanese women!

Paulina Chiwangu, Deputy Country Representative, UN Women South Sudan
Christy Ahenkora, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP South Sudan