Rights group, Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), on Sunday announced Yellow Ribbon Award to Lakes and Western Equatoria States for appointing ten persons living with disabilities (PLWDs) as lawmakers in the revitalized state assemblies.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, Edmund Yakani, the Executive Director for CEPO said the award comes after the organization in partnership with Light for the World launched the Yellow Ribbon Campaign aimed at lobbying for persons with disabilities to be appointed members of parliament in the state.
The campaign was launched in April 2020 at the time when the parties to the 2018 peace agreement were tasked with the reconstitution of the state assemblies.
Yakani said Lakes and Western Equatoria States each appointed five PLWDs to their state assemblies.
“I would like to take this opportunity to share with the South Sudanese that we are going to have special appreciation to two states that impressively appointed five persons with disabilities, these states are Western Equatoria and Lakes states, they will receive our Yellow Ribbon Award,” he said.
Yakani revealed that the Yellow Ribbon campaign managed to achieve 21 members of state parliaments living with disabilities.
“This result tells us that we can secure 21 persons with disabilities appointed as state legislative assembly members. It is impressive as we are beginning to take serious steps towards the participation of persons with disabilities in public life,” Yakani said.
He revealed that they are planning to hold the first-ever conference for state lawmakers together with MPs from the national assembly.
“We as CEPO in partnership with Light for the World will organize the first-ever conference of lawmakers with disabilities. We will bring the 21 lawmakers with disabilities from the states to meet with their counterparts at the national level and hold the first South Sudan persons with disabilities MPs conference that will zero down to an action plan on the role of MPs with disabilities in shaping a societal agenda for South Sudan,” Yakani revealed.