The Ministries of Social Welfare and Culture, Youth and Sport along with Wau’s women’s association celebrated the international day for the abolition of gender-based violence on Monday.
The day is part of sixteen days of activism globally which are running from the 25th November to the 10th December.
Addressing the crowd, Mrs Julia Luka discussed a number of issues which commonly face women in Western Bahr el-Ghazal including domestic abuse, women struggling as single parents and lack of education. She highlighted that female awareness of these matters is crucial to achieving development for women.
Mrs Luka did point out that the numbers of adult women returning to education is increasing and praised these efforts in standing against oppression.
Meanwhile, speaking from a refugee camp in Ethiopia, Astaza Ibtisam Jambu discussed the problems still facing women from Blue Nile State. Struggling daily to support their families, many of them as single parents,the ongoing conflict provides new challenges to women’s wellbeing.
She also criticised the traditional practice of female genital mutilation, which is still commonly carried out in some communities, as another form of violence against women.
Radio Tamazuj file photo