Margaret Ceaser, a member of parliament in South Sudan’s Western Bahr El Ghazal state, believes in the adage that “there is a woman behind every great man.”
At a recent forum in Wau organized by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) in collaboration with the South Sudan Women, Peace and Security caucus, she took her belief a step further.
“The time for us to be merely a support structure for men is over,” she said at the UN Peacekeeping mission’s Gender Affairs Unit’s two-day gathering.
“South Sudanese women are ready to lead the way in establishing a lasting, inclusive peace, one in which our issues and needs are prioritized and given equal weight to those raised by men,” she stated emphatically.
Fifty-seven female parliamentarians gathered to discuss the importance of women’s full and equal participation in the politics of this young country in order to shape a future of lasting peace and prosperity for all.
Margaret emphasized the importance of creating opportunities at the national level for women to effectively lend their voices to the ongoing peace process, citing the positive impact of women in achieving relative stability across Western Bahr El Ghazal.
“As a newly elected member of parliament, this event has provided me with the opportunity to network with like-minded female leaders from across the state.”
We’ve talked about our successes and failures. “Most significantly, we’ve exchanged excellent practices as well as our hopes for a more gender-equal society,” she said.
“This has provided me with not just concrete insights, but also with the most vital ingredient for fighting the good fight—hope.”
The forum’s lively debates covered a wide range of topics, including increasing women’s participation in nation-building and public life, decision-making, and, most importantly, full participation in bigger peace and security challenges.
It has been quite beneficial to Margaret. “We spoke about what a leader does and how we define a leader. “The agreement was simple: women make up half of any community, and our views must be heard equally in political leadership at all levels if South Sudan is to develop as a true democracy,” she added.
Rweida Rajab, a participant and the Deputy Mayor of Wau town, believes that no country can achieve lasting peace until women are included from the beginning to the end.
“It is a well-known truth that women’s engagement in peace processes makes them more sustainable. “However, I am concerned that South Sudanese women are not being given those places at the table at this crucial time when the transitional period is coming to an end and elections must take place in a peaceful and timely manner,” she expressed.
“It’s critical that females participate, have our views heard, and have the same possibilities as men.” “We cannot continue to be excluded from our own country’s social, political, and economic life,” she stated emphatically.
“There can be no true peace without women, and there can be no growth without peace.” Rweida continued, “We are a crucial instrument for the full execution of the 2018 Peace Agreement.”
Margaret and Rweida were both agreed by Aya Benjamin Warille, the National Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare.
“In South Sudan, we can no longer divide the concerns of men and women. Minister Warille added, “We are equal partners with males and must be treated as such.”
Mustapha Tejan-Kella, Head of the UNMISS Civil Affairs Unit in Wau, urged participants to speak up and report any acts of violence, intimidation, or abuse they had experienced.
“Do not be deafeningly quiet. Take a stand for your rights. It is past time for South Sudan’s powerful women to take their rightful role in society.” APO Group distributed this on behalf of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Audio and video files