The South Sudan Cabinet on Friday passed the Non-Governmental Organizations Act 2016, amendment Bill 2023, which promotes the hiring of at least 35% women at all levels.
Speaking after a weekly Cabinet briefing in Juba on Friday, the Deputy Minister for Information and Communication, Dr Jacob Maiju Korok, said the Bill would ensure that 80 per cent of South Sudanese in all managerial, middle and junior levels were women.
“The amendment requires the NGOs to promote hiring of at least 35% women at managerial and middle and junior levels. Also, the Bill would ensure that 80% of South Sudanese are to be employed in NGOs (2:19) in all managerial and middle and junior levels,” Korok said.
Korok clarified that interpretation of 80% in the States is specifically for the South Sudanese, regardless of their ethnicity.
He said the Bill would ensure that NGOs have an enabling environment to operate in.
“It is to confirm the act with capitalized agreements and constitutions. And also, this Bill would create and enable a legal environment for non-governmental organizations in South Sudan, as stipulated in agreements and constitutions.”
Section 18 of the 2016 NGO Act states that potential employers should ensure that not less than 80% of the total staff are South Sudanese at all levels of management.
It also states that employers should engage foreigners only if there are no qualified South Sudanese.