Women parliamentarians, representatives from various political parties, and women’s associations participated in a two-day workshop facilitated by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). The workshop focused on amending and passing an inclusive constitution for the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus in Lakes State.
The conclusion of the constitution amendment was announced during a gathering at Serena Hotel, attended by women from different political parties and women’s associations.
Lakes State Minister for Gender, Child, and Social Welfare, Angelina Mario, highlighted the purpose of the workshop, emphasizing the need to empower women at the grassroots level to understand their rights, participate in politics, and support leaders.
Angelina mentioned, “We have successfully amended the constitution and are planning the way forward to help women understand their rights, engage in politics, and actively participate in the upcoming general elections. Our goal is to create awareness and support women politically, socially, and economically.”
She also announced plans for another workshop to involve 100 participants and deliver similar empowering messages to further enhance women’s awareness and support.
“The messages encompass the laws of Lakes State, addressing issues such as early and forced marriages, and various laws safeguarding women’s rights. We are collaborating with our partners, parliamentary members, and the executive to ensure the effective implementation of these laws,” stated Minister Angelina.
Deputy Speaker of Lakes State Revitalized Transitional Legislative Assembly, Ayen Meen Ador, shared, “This training has provided us with valuable knowledge and skills regarding our constitution, specifically the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus Constitution. Formed in August 2012, the caucus now has a revised constitution, enriched with mission, vision, and empowerment goals for women in the Lakes State assembly.”
She emphasized that the workshop was fruitful, enabling them to review and amend the constitution over the two days. The parliamentarian women’s caucus plans to share the insights gained with other women’s groups and associations in Lakes State.
She explained, “We discussed our responsibilities as women in a group and in politics. Although initially, there was only one political party that won elections in 2010, comprising 15 women, the scenario has changed. Currently, we have 31 members, including representatives from various political parties, demonstrating increased diversity.”
Adama, the UNMISS Gender Officer in Rumbek Field Office, outlined the purpose of the workshop as engaging the newly formed parliamentarian caucus, supporting them in developing their constitution and working on their strategic plan.
“On the first day, we actively examined their constitution, fostering interactive and participatory discussions that extended into the evening. This dedication highlights their commitment to the cause,” Adama noted.
Expressing pride in working with the group, she announced the successful completion of the two-day workshop with the development of a strategic plan, currently in its fourth draft. Adama emphasized the importance of ownership, stating, “The purpose of this two-day workshop is to ensure that the produced documents are owned by the institution. We will finalize the strategic plan, share it with them for review, and await their feedback.”
She commended the team’s dedication and enthusiasm, noting their readiness to take ownership of the documents, saying, “The level of dedication and zeal exhibited by the team indicates their willingness and readiness to work for the cause.”
“My initial target for this program was to include 40 individuals, all from Lakes State. Currently, we have 30 members from the Lakes State Legislative Assembly, with an additional 19 participants from Juba. In total, we have 49 participants, including 25 females and the rest males. It’s noteworthy that men expressed interest in joining to better understand the women’s caucus, as they work collaboratively with their female counterparts,” added Adama.
Vicky Daniel Deng Monydit, the newly elected chairperson of the women’s parliamentary caucus in Lakes State assembly, shared her perspective, stating, “After being elected as the new chairperson, we requested UNMISS to organize a 2-day workshop for us. This workshop has been beneficial as it provided a platform to discuss various issues related to women and our goals. We have also used this opportunity to amend our constitution since we now have multiple parties in the State, unlike the previous setup under one SPLM party.”
“In the amendments to the women’s parliamentary caucus constitution, certain elements have been removed, and others have been added to better reflect the current dynamics,” Vicky explained. “Following these amendments, we, the women, plan to conduct rallies and raise awareness in the counties, advocating for women’s voices in Lakes State.”
Marial Amum Malek, a member of the Lakes State Legislative Assembly attended the workshop and stated, “It was indeed a remarkable forum, uniting politicians, gender advocates, and both male and female participants for this workshop. The discussions were vibrant, encompassing political and social issues prevalent in Lakes State.”
Marial highlighted the workshop’s objective, emphasizing, “Our main goal was to review the women’s parliamentary caucus constitution. During extensive discussions, we addressed the constitution’s composition, structures, and functions. Additionally, we assisted in drafting their strategic plan for the remaining two years. While we covered a lot of ground, we recognized that effective implementation and support are crucial challenges.”
He emphasized the importance of aligning plans with international standards while respecting positive traditional customs and norms. “We considered aspects like marriages, the timing of women’s work, and the prevention of work at specific times. We learned that allowing women to work sometimes may lead to distractions, impacting cooperation within the family. We discussed the reluctance of men to let their women engage in separate activities. Addressing these issues, we emphasized the rights of women to own resources, participate in resource-related discussions, and ensure young girls have a voice in decisions about their future spouses.”
Reflecting on the busy two-day workshop, Marial expressed gratitude, stating, “Both documents, the constitution, and the strategic plan were successfully adopted.”
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