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Juba: Alnaeim Mubarak Kuol
Elias Taban Elias, President of the Student Union at the Torit Health Science Institute, confirmed that the youth will lead the change against sexual exploitation, a burden carried by mothers and sisters enduring the heavy injustice.
Students in Torit received training on how to prevent such atrocities to protect themselves and their communities. The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign was organized by the Ministry of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare, with support from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), and brought together more than 50 trainees from the Torit Health Science Institute.
The initiative, which is part of the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence, aims to equip these learners with the knowledge needed to create meaningful change.
“Understanding this issue is essential for us in the medical field. It enables us to manage cases with the utmost confidentiality, protecting the dignity of survivors while reinforcing our commitment to professional integrity.”. Mr. Elias added
With the holiday season approaching, there is hope that youth will actively resist harmful cultural practices such as forced and early marriages.
Lily Tobias, a counselor at the One-Stop-Center at Torit State Hospital, emphasized, “The message needs to be spread widely, and families and communities must be aware of how to access reporting mechanisms for such horrific acts of abuse.”
Alarming statistics of school dropouts, single mothers, and health issues like fistula cases primarily affect women under the age of 18, with significant repercussions.
Tobias Magezi, Principal of the Torit Health Science Institute, hopes that these sessions will inspire more community activists. He said, “While the institute has formed a committee dedicated to preventing abuse against women and girls, I call on our partners to continue supporting us in raising awareness about this critical issue.”
The UNMISS team in Eastern Equatoria is closely working with the Ministry of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare to protect individual rights and address human rights abuses, with the goal of creating a safer, more gender-responsive environment for all.
