SUDAN: Sudan First Ladies Join Hands For Woman and Girl Empowerment

The first ladies Tuesday 10th Aug. signed a memorandum of understanding that will foresee the enhancement of girl education and women empowerment in Sudan. Mary Ayen Mayardit, wife to Goss president Salva Kiir Mayardit and Widad Babiker Omer, wife to President Hassan Omer Bashir are both heading organizations that raise awareness on the discrimination against women and girls.

Mrs. Mayardit heads “Concern for Mothers and Children in Sudan” (COMOS) while Ms. Omer heads SANAB Charitable foundation.

Women in Sudan account for nearly half of the society, although, there are still major challenges constraining women's access to justice and equity as well as to leadership positions, which are often related to social norms and traditions.

In Southern Sudan, women experience harsh living conditions and have suffered disproportionately from the effects of the war. The lack of access to maternal health care and to education, in addition to social and economic inequities make women more vulnerable to poverty and to contracting deadly diseases such as HIV/AIDS.

While women contribute directly to most of the agricultural production, they have less access to land, credit and marketing facilities, as well as to health and agricultural extension services, advice and packages.

Talking to Juba Post, Nouna Effie, Executive Director of COMOS, said the collaboration will tackle areas of girl-child education and empowering mid-wives.

“We have signed a memorandum of understanding,” She said, “and if all goes well, we will tackle mainly girl and women issues right from the grass root levels,” added the COMOS executive director.

The Goss minister of Gender and Social Development Agnes Lasuba said the two organizations are very important to the people of the Sudan since they cater for vulnerable groups like widows and street children.

On their part, the first ladies pledged commitment to the partnership affirming that the results of the referendum would not affect their collaboration.

Given the importance of empowering women in the country, COMOS aims at advocating for girl child education, said Ms. Mayardit in her mother tongue language while a translator communicated into Arabic.

Ms. Mayardit affirmed that girls of today should be given a chance to go to school not like the girls of the Anyanya one regime.

The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) stipulates 25% representation by women at all levels. This has provided women with the opportunity to assume leadership and decision-making roles in the Government of National Unity and the Government of Southern Sudan.

This important gain has been coupled with an increase in the number of working women in urban areas. The twenty-two year conflict, that consumed much of the country's resources, played a major role in hindering the process of women's empowerment in Sudan.