The South Sudan government yesterday launched a campaign on stopping violence against women at Nyakuron Cultural Centre in the presence of the Ministers of Gender, Child and Social Welfare and Education, Science and Technology and Police Service representative.

The event is scheduled to continue until 10 December. Speaking during the launch, Minister of Education Dr. John Gai Yoah stated that early marriage is the major problem hindering girls' education in South Sudan.

He called on families to fight early marriage, saying the fight against violence against women is a collective responsibility of all members of community. Gai appealed to teachers to take care for the girls so they continue with education.

At the same event, South Sudan's Minister of Gender Awut Deng Achuil said that education is the key to a decent life. She called on the families to encourage children to education, saying the issue of early marriage is mostly attributed to economic reasons.

The minister said stopping violence against women is a shared responsibility between men and women, and urged the Interior Ministry to develop a special law on violence against women in South Sudan. The official stressed the need for girls' education in South Sudan.

Meanwhile, Police Lieutenant-General Abraham Manyuat Peter said that domestic violence causes homelessness among children. Manyuat claimed that South Sudan Police Service will work to fight violence against women.

In Sudan, the Sima Centre for Training and Protection of Women and Child launched its annual campaign on violence against women.

The centre’s director Nahid Jabrallah told Radio Tamazuj that violence against women in Sudan is increasing dramatically through enactment of anti-woman laws and continuation of wars in the South Kordofan and Blue Nile regions besides the economic decline in the country.

Nahid disclosed that the center receives more than 300 victims of violence per year.