A member of South Sudan’s Parliament has raised concerns about alleged sexual exploitation of young South Sudanese, particularly women, seeking jobs with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) operating in the country.
Zachariah Matur, an SPLM member representing Rumbek Center, informed lawmakers on Wednesday that he had received several reports of sexual abuse involving women who applied for jobs with both national and international NGOs.
According to Matur, some reports indicated that women are often required to meet their bosses in hotels to discuss employment terms, which sometimes leads to sexual abuse. “The information I want to bring is to draw the attention of the House, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, the Ministry of Labor, and the Committee of Humanitarian Affairs in Parliament, especially on the issue of our young people who are employed with international and national NGOs in the country,” Matur explained.
He recounted a specific incident: “I met some young people who are working with NGOs and being subjected to sexual abuse. One story says that a young lady was given a contract and was asked to meet with the manager at a hotel. When the lady refused, the manager threatened to terminate her contract,” Matur revealed.
Matur explained, “I have heard reports that when women are given contracts, some managers demand two months’ salary upfront in exchange for a 12-month contract. These two months’ payments are deducted by the manager before the contract is issued.” He called on the Ministry of Labor to address these issues urgently.
He continued, “There are many other stories, Madam Speaker, that I don’t want to go into detail about, but many of us are aware of these issues. I call upon our Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and the Committee of Labor to ensure the protection of our nationals working with both international and national NGOs in the country.”
Matur stressed the importance of implementing the law to protect workers, especially women, from such exploitation. “We need to ensure the safety and protection of our workers, particularly the ladies,” he added.
Jemma Nunu Kumba, the Speaker of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly, urged lawmakers to report such issues to the relevant authorities so that appropriate action can be taken. “When such incidents occur, they need to be reported to the relevant authority. If reported to the Committee of Labor, they will engage with the relevant ministry to address each case individually and escalate it if necessary. This is how we can address these issues,” she stated.
Speaker Nunu emphasized the importance of holding perpetrators accountable and using the established regulations within organizations to tackle issues of sexual abuse. “Let’s use the relevant authorities to address these cases and ensure that culprits are held accountable,” she concluded.