Joint Statement by the South Sudan Women, Peace, and Security Working Group Co-chaired by the Embassies of the UK and EU, facilitated by UN Women
Date:
As South Sudan navigates its extended transition amid escalating violence in Upper Nile and renewed political tensions, the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Working Group calls for a stronger commitment to peaceful and inclusive dialogue, gender equality and justice. Progress on women’s participation and protection as stipulated in the R-ARCSS remains slow, with only 10% of gender-related provisions fully implemented, while rising insecurity and economic hardship further threaten women's rights and inclusion.
As once again underscored by the most recent report of the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, women and girls continue to bear the disproportionate impact of conflict, facing gender-based violence, including conflict-related sexual violence, displacement, and economic instability. As the world marked International Women’s Day 2025, we call for:
- Credible steps to end wide-spread impunity for crimes of gender-based violence
- Credible steps to curb the practise of child marriage which escalates during conflict and scars the lives of young girls in South Sudan
- Urgent legal and policy reforms to uphold women’s rights and guarantee their full participation in governance and committed national action to deliver equal educational opportunities for girls and
- Accelerated implementation of UNSCR 1325 and the WPS agenda, particularly through the finalization of the National Action Plan (NAP) on UNSCR 1325.
- Stronger accountability and increased resources for women-led peacebuilding, security sector reform, and transitional justice.
- Urgent steps to implement the Action Plan for the Armed Forces on addressing sexual violence in conflict.
Women are leaders, peacemakers, and key drivers of sustainable peace. All parties to the R-ARCSS must remember that in the context of ongoing tensions. We call on the Government of South Sudan, regional bodies, donors, and all stakeholders to act decisively to advance gender equality in peace and security. The time for action is now. Women’s voices must be included in shaping the future of South Sudan.
Signed:
- British Embassy Juba
- CARE International (Civil society observer to the WPS Working Group)
- Delegation of the European Union to South Sudan
- Embassy of Canada to South Sudan
- Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in South Sudan
- Royal Norwegian Embassy in South Sudan
- Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in South Sudan
- Titi Foundation (Civil society observer to the WPS Working Group)
- United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
- United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
- United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
- United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)
- United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS)