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 Re: The South Sudan Women’s Protocol بروتوكول نساء جنوب السودان الخاص بمسودة الدستور الانتقالى (Re: nada ali)
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S. Sudan Women Activists Concerned Over Constitution Clarity
15 May 2011
Waakhe Simon Wudu
JUBA, 14th May, 2011 [Gurtong]-South Sudanese women converged in a two days workshop to address their needs in the interim constitution. The consultative meeting discussed; how the constitution benefits women, their priorities in the new nation to come; and how to uphold women rights.
The workshop convened to discuss and examine three questions on the 2005 interim transitional constitution of South Sudan already passed to parliament for legislation.
The agendas were; how does the Interim Constitution of Southern Sudan 2005 benefit women; what are the women’s priorities in the new nation to come; and how to uphold women rights in the new nation were among other questions deliberated.
Tens of women from all the Ten States of South Sudan convened in the New Sudan Hotel in Juba that ended on Friday. Members of Parliament and women leaders in the various State Governments, Civil Society Organizations, and representatives from Embassies in the region attended the workshop.
The President of the South Sudan Women Empowerment Network, SSWEN Ms. Lilian Riziq told Gurtong in an interview that, the meeting was significant and not late despite the constitutional draft already being in the parliament.
Lilian said that the women found that the Interim Constitution was not accommodative to them. Despite efforts that it gives 25% power sharing to women, the word WOMEN is only mentioned 7 times in the whole constitution and GIRL is not mentioned.
The delegates saw this as a concern and one of the ways that the constitution legally recognizes women to a lesser extent.
They also discovered that in the current transitional constitution, the language used to define the issues of women was not clear.
Abuk Nikanora, Public out Reach Officer of the SSWEN exclusively explained to Gurtong that, the constitution defined that; any woman at marriageable age can get married. She said the constitution would have defined the age but not putting it in a flat sense.
She quoted articles 117 and 110 in the constitution where language is completely not defining. She feels this is one ways of abusing the rights of women in the region by not clearly defining their rights.
She further explained that, the constitution gave women two months for maternity leave. The women demanded an additional month and resolved that, men too should be given paternity leave for some few days.
Lilian on the other hand pointed out that, the interim constitution maintained 25% power sharing given to women. However, the interpretation was not clear, she said. “At least 25%,” Lilian said is the language used.
The women delegates resolved that, the power sharing to women should be increased to 30%. They maintained this is what the GOSS President, Salva Kiir had always said in his public speeches before the referendum.
The women activists insisted that, maintaining the 25% which isn’t even clear, does not uphold the words of the President.
Lilian continued that, other phrases regarding the allocation of the rights were not clear. For example the word ‘PEOPLE’ refer to all men and women. But in other circumstances it needs to be defined whether to whom exactly it’s referring to: men or women.
The workshop resolved and established a South Sudan Women Coalition. It is composed of women representatives from the various States. Set up of committees with a Coordinator, it will champion the workshop resolutions.
The coalition which is composed of representatives from different civil society organizations including women members of parliament; others will meet the president to respond to his promise of 30% as others will be championing the resolutions in one way or the other to parliament.
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nada ali
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