Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen 

Good morning, 

1.   It is my pleasure to welcome you all to this workshop dedicated to discussing how to enhance the role and participation of South Sudan women in the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement. The theme of the event, “understanding the Roadmap and women’s participation in implementation of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS)” is timely and significant.

2.   Today is a special day for all of us, as we mark the International Women’s Day. This special day encourages us to reflect on the milestones that have been achieved by women in the world. The ideals advocated by the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 are aimed, among others, at mainstreaming gender by bringing about a greater sensitivity to the different effects that war has on men and women. 

3.   The ground-breaking Security Council Resolution 1325, which was passed in the year 2000, is the first to link women’s experiences of conflict to the international peace and security agenda, focusing attention on the disproportionate impact of conflict on women, and calling for women’s engagement in conflict resolution and peace building. It recognised the undervalued and underutilised contributions women make to conflict prevention, peacekeeping, conflict resolution, conflict transformation, including securing and sustaining peace. It also stressed the importance of women’s equal and full participation as active agents in peace and security.

4.   Historically, women have been in record for constructively engaging in the South Sudan peace process. During the IGAD-led High-Level Revitalization Forum (HLRF) of the parties and stakeholders which culminated into the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS), the South Sudanese women played a critical role in successfully negotiating issues affecting them. As you may recall, the chief mediator, Hanna Tetteh, is a woman.

5.   The increase in women representation from 25% under the previous Peace Agreement to 35% under the Revitalized Peace Agreement is a sheer demonstration of the women’s agency in arguing their case for effective representation and participation in political processes, including in all state institutions. RJMEC encourages the R-TGoNU and all the political parties to provide an enabling environment for South Sudanese women to fully participate in the implementation of the R-ARCSS.   

6.   This workshop therefore comes shortly after we have marked the third anniversary of the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU), three years of the Transitional Period of the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS), and after four and a half years of the signing of the Revitalized Peace Agreement itself.

7.   In late 2021, it was RJMEC’s assessment that a number of critical tasks were pending, which would have made the conduct of elections as originally scheduled in December 2022, near impossible. Accordingly, RJMEC requested the RTGoNU to develop and share its strategy on achieving the critical pending tasks within the timeframe remaining. Consequently, the RTGoNU duly developed a Roadmap in August 2022, setting out a revised schedule for implementation of the critical pending tasks to enable the country conduct peaceful and democratic elections within 24 months, with the Transitional Period now expected to end in February 2025. 

8.   The Roadmap, in the words of the RTGoNU, “is to provide time-bound guidance on the implementation of outstanding provisions that are critical to the conduct of peaceful and democratic elections at the end of the transition period, not alternative to the R-ARCSS.”Therefore, in the extended period of the Transitional Period, just as before, the R-ARCSS remains the supreme document.

9.   In this regard, therefore, as we move into the extension period, the gender provisions remain very relevant and central. This is the reason why the theme of the event, “Understanding the Roadmap and women’s participation in implementation of the R-ARCSS” is the main focus of discussions in the workshop.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, 

10.        The gender provisions of the Agreement seek to improve the inclusion and empowerment of women in a very fundamental way. They cover the participation and representation of women in decision‐making positions, in all governmental bodies, and institutions and mechanisms that drive political, economic, social and judicial reforms, as well as the constitution-making process. This remains equally valid and important in the Roadmap.

11.        In particular, there are provisions which refer to the prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls, including measures to prevent sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in general and sexual violence in particular. Then, there are provisions on the protection and promotion of women and girls’ rights, including protection from SGBV, and the consideration of women and girls’ specific protection needs. 

12.        Therefore, it is evident that the letter and spirit of the gender provisions in the Revitalized Peace Agreement are deep and far-reaching, and aimed at creating a conducive environment for women in South Sudan to actively participate in the political, economic and social life of their country. It is important to recognise the role and value of women in all these aspects. Women are capable in decision-making, especially those affecting the social fabric and the environment, and they share information well. They bring additional perspectives, especially on issues that affect other women and girls. Women also provide holistic approaches and dimensions in today’s complex and evolving challenges in all spheres. 

13.        In spite of the fact that UNSCR 1325 on the role of women in conflict resolution and peace processes, which calls for the adoption of gender perspectives, especially of women’s and girls’ needs in peace agreements, and their implementation mechanisms, and for the protection and respect of their rights, women continue to face obstacles in the realisation of this aspiration, and do so during the implementation of the Revitalised Peace Agreement.

14.        The challenges facing women are enormous, especially in our continent and also in South Sudan. They include those related to access to power, inclusivity and effective participation, and gender bias. Unless such challenges are adequately addressed, perspectives and concerns of women will be overlooked in politics as well as in the implementation of the Roadmap of the R-ARCSS. This therefore calls for women to be respected and not to be ignored or undermined, and women should be assertive in making their voices heard.

15.        As the RTGoNU continues in the implementation of the Roadmap, there are some key bodies which need to be reconstituted and staffed. These include the Political Parties Council, the National Elections Commission, and the National Constitutional Review Commission (NCRC). Also related to the Constitution-making process is the establishment of the Preparatory Sub-Committee for the National Constitutional Conference, and recruitment of the Constitutional Drafting Committee. 

16.        As we know, the Agreement mandates 35% level of women’s participation in such bodies, and the nominees to these bodies need to reflect the gender, political, social, ethnic, religious, and regional diversity of South Sudan. RJMEC takes these considerations very seriously, and as we conduct our monitoring and evaluation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement, we will ensure that these parameters get the proper level of attention.  

17.        Furthermore, along with all of us here, RJMEC celebrates International Women’s Day, and will continue to support gender-focussed activities such as this one. I sincerely thank the organisers of this event, and I look forward to hearing about how the workshop’s outcomes will contribute to the effective implementation of the Peace Agreement Roadmap in general, and the gender provisions in particular. 

18.        I wish you all a fruitful and successful workshop.

I Thank You.