The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Aweil Civic Engagement Center (ACEC) have rolled out a six-month legal aid program to help women, girls, and other vulnerable groups who have cases before local courts in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Monday, some of the 50 female participants endorsed the continuation of the project, saying that there were so many issues to be addressed and declared their commitment to contribute solutions to legal representation.
Isaac Deng, a lawyer who plies his trade in Aweil town, said some people who have court cases are financially constrained are often assisted by humanitarian partners, the High Court, and Supreme Court when the need arises.
“The meeting was all about the legal aid, how to access it, and when it is granted to persons who do not have money to facilitate court procedures,” he said. “This program is granted by humanitarian organizations, lawyers’ bar, and the courts and I consider that the the workshop was fruitful.”
On his part, the legal consultant at the Aweil Civic Engagement Center (ACEC), Bulis Nguak, stated that the project is funded by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and is implemented by the Aweil Civic Engagement Center (ACEC). He invited the general public to own the scheme and work in good faith to support all people who may need legal aid.
“As the legal consultant for the Center, we are launching this project today so that we educate the stakeholders about the new project and we need them to buy into the objectives and the activities of the project because we need them to be part of the project implementation,” said Nguak.
A participant, Josephine Achol Deng, believes that many challenges hamper women and vowed to support needy persons.
“We have so many different challenges affecting women and girls but we have understood well our rights today and this is an indication that this project will change us because we are going to support the women and girls from those issues,” she said.