About 96 community women leaders from Northern Bahr el Ghazal State are attending a four-day workshop on women's participation in decision making, peacebuilding, and security matters.
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) in collaboration with Northern Bahr el Ghazal State ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare launched the workshop on Tuesday in the state capital, Aweil.
The 96 women are from Aweil North, Aweil East, Aweil South, Aweil Center, and Majok Yinh Thiou and Aweil Town municipalities.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday shortly after the workshop opening, the Acting Team Leader for Civil Affairs Division at UNMISS field office in Aweil, Jacob Dau, said the workshop is aligned to the UN Security Council resolution 1325 that calls for women empowerment.
"We are launching today the capacity building workshop for women leaders from five counties and two municipalities. We are here engaging groups of women selected from different counties to build their capacities in line with UNSC resolution 1325 that urges all of us to build the capacity of the women to be able to make decisions together with their fellow men and also build peace along with them,’’ Dau noted.
Margaret Aliai, who is attending the workshop, says she hopes to learn more about the peace agreement and its challenges.
“We expect to come out with full knowledge, to get experience and to be updated about how peace is going on in the country, and the delay in the implementation of for example the security arrangement and when are we going for elections since things are going to be delayed like this?” she asked.
“What I like to learn from here is that I get more knowledge and mobilize women and inform them all about peace," Akon Lual Riiny, another participant said.
The UN Security Council adopted resolution 1325 on women and peace and security on 31 October 2000. The resolution reaffirms the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace negotiations, peace-building, peacekeeping, humanitarian response, and in post-conflict reconstruction and stresses the importance of their equal participation and full involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security.