UNFPA says gender stereotypes hinders realization of gender quality

By Simon Deng

The United Nations Population Fund has urged the government to tackle negative social norms that continue to hinder realization of gender equality.

Ademola Olajide, the country representative for the United Nations Population Fund said the embrace gender equality will enable the country to make positive step toward realization of women emanicaption.

“For boys and girls to thrive, society will only progress if we address the negative social norms that continue to hinder women,” said Olajide during the boxing tournament held at Boxing Federation in Juba on Thursday.

“It is refreshing experience to watch excited men and women especially impressionable children, applaud the skills and energy of talented female boxers, for South Sudan to achieve peace, progress and prosperity both men and women must find their place,” Ademola said.

Gidudu Andrew, the representative for Impact Health Organization (IHO) appealed to the communities to stop practicing negative social norms that hinder the progress of women.

“In South Sudan, we have profound opportunity to redefine what it means to be an athlete, to be strong and to be agile, for too long the communities have perpetrated harmful gender stereotypes, athletes is not gender sensitive,” said Andrew.

 He stressed the need to create a world where girls play without limitations and to recreate a future where gender is not a barrier,

Barbara Lam, a female boxer at the South Sudan Boxing Federation stressed the need to embrace gender equality in boxing sport.

 “I started from kickboxing and now it is boxing, the way I am seeing other young girls wasting their time in clubs why do not they come and join boxing, in sport like boxing, you will be respected, you be well-known in our society,” said Lam.