A group of South Sudanese women demand inclusivity in peace, justice, equality and in the upcoming transitional government.
The September 2018 peace deal calls for a functional unity government by May.
Suzan Jambo, a South Sudanese activist, told Radio Tamazuj last week more than 700 individuals signed a petition which demanded that all parties should include women in decision making processes.
She further said the time has come for women to be centrally included in the upcoming transitional government.
According to Jambo, women have potentials to develop the country and wondered why government was reluctant to include them in the country’s development process.
“Women don’t have tribalism; we show sympathy to every human kind. If you look at what is destroying South Sudan today, you will see power struggle, corruption and tribalism. These are not qualities of our women,” she said.
According to the activist, women should be given a chance to use their potentials and work together with men to develop the country.
She said women are not represented as stipulated in the peace accord, since the pre-transitional committees were formed.
Jambo expressed concerns over the silence of parties on the matter. “That is why we said we have to stand firm as women and demand our 35%,” she stressed.
The South Sudanese activist said the petition did not have any political affiliation and accused all parties that signed the revitalized peace agreement of neglecting the role of women stipulated in it.
The petition, she added, is a wakeup call for parties to keep their promises.
The revitalized peace agreement stipulates that women shall have at least 35% representation in the executive body.
Jambo said she expects women to fill their quota at the national, state and local levels of government in the country.
“We even want to see women as governors,” she observed.
Meanwhile, Jambo urged the United Nations, IGAD, African Union, and all guarantors of the peace agreement to put pressure on the parties to involve women in the implementation process.