The Embassy of the United States has called on the Transitional Government of National Unity in South Sudan to hold accountable perpetrators of Gender Based Violence (GBV).
This comes as the Embassy commemorates the 31st anniversary of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
In a Monday statement shared with Radio Tamazuj, the Embassy called on the transitional government to hold accountable perpetrators of GBV and urged the authorities concerned to take needed steps to create an environment in which GBV is eliminated.
This requires concrete changes that will improve education, health, and security, and ingrain the goal of eliminating GBV into the central mission and value system of South Sudan’s security forces,” the statement said.
“We stand with those committed to protecting the human rights of women and girls in South Sudan. We stand with those committed to accelerating the achievement of gender equality,” it added.
The Embassy of the United States emphasized that it remains as committed as ever to supporting efforts to end GBV in South Sudan.
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign that kicks off on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day.
The campaign was started by activists at the inauguration of the Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991. It is used as an organizing strategy by individuals and organizations around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls.
According to a study conducted by South Sudan Law Society (SSLS) and Legal Action Worldwide (LAW), up to 90 % of gender-based violence cases are heard in customary courts presided by older male judges with deeply ingrained patriarchal views, which generally condone domestic violence.
Civil society activists have recently called on the Transitional National Legislative Assembly to leverage the 16 Days of Activism as an opportunity to expedite the enactment of the anti-Gender Based Violence (GBV) Bill, Family Bill and Women Enterprise Development Fund.
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