Arop Jonchol
Jonglei: Al-Wadi Newspaper
Jonglei State has launched a taskforce to combat sexual and gender-based violence, which significantly affects women and girls throughout South Sudan. The taskforce will work to put an end to these harmful practices and coordinate actions taken to address the perpetrators of these violations in the state.
According to government authorities, the objective of this new body is to provide the relevant authorities and other stakeholders with the tools and strategies necessary to prevent incidents of gender-based violence, whether sexual or of another nature, and to understand how to respond and deal with them.
The formation of the taskforce follows discussions between the Ministry of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare and the Women’s Unit of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
Head of the Peacekeeping Mission’s Field Office in Bor, Geetha Pious, said: “Jonglei State urgently needed a strong mechanism to address the increase in abductions and the rising levels of intercommunity violence that threaten the lives of women and girls. UNMISS will continue to provide its technical and knowledge support to help ensure the success of the new entity.”
While women and girls throughout South Sudan face the risk of sexual and other forms of violence, the residents of Greater Jonglei, a region that has witnessed intercommunity conflicts often turning violent, may be particularly vulnerable to such assaults.
State parliamentarian Martha Atong Alaak emphasized: “Immediate, coordinated action is urgently needed. We must mobilize our resources to give this new team a chance to address these crimes effectively.”
The taskforce consists of individuals representing a wide variety of stakeholders, including parliament, traditional leaders, security forces, the judiciary, and civil society organizations.
