South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
The Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare (MGCSW) has signed an output agreement with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), to commence the construction of key infrastructure including a safe house in Juba.
Esther Ikere Eluzai, the Undersecretary for the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare while highlighting the importance of the initiative, said the output agreement is a historic milestone in the project implementation, particularly for the civil works component managed by UNOPS.
“As a ministry, we recognize this as a crucial step in fulfilling our mandate to serve the women and girls of South Sudan. The safe house and WECCs will provide essential gender-based violence services and safe spaces, benefiting not just women and girls, but men and boys who are survivors as well,” Eluzai said in a joint statement on Wednesday.
Eluzai said the agreement marks a shared commitment to fostering economic inclusion, strengthening institutional capacity, and ensuring a brighter future for women and girls in South Sudan.
Buruktawit Metiku Woldegiorgis, the UNOPS Service Support Manager, said the scheme is under South Sudan Women’s Social and Economic Empowerment Project (SSWSEEP).
“UNOPS is committed to working closely with the Ministry to ensure the successful delivery of the infrastructure required under this agreement, helping to establish safe and empowering spaces for women and girls across South Sudan,” Woldegiorgis said.
Timothy Yobuta, the SSWSEEP Project Manager, said the facilities will after construction strengthen institutional capacity, improve service delivery, and provide inclusive spaces where women and girls can access essential social and economic empowerment programs.
“This output agreement between the Ministry of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare and UNOPS signifies the commencement of the construction of vital facilities in selected areas. It shows that we are moving towards implementation,” Yobuta said.
SSWSEEP initially signed between the government of South Sudan and the World Bank on June 21, 2022, embodies a strong commitment to advancing gender equity and ensuring sustainable support for women’s economic and social empowerment.
The agreement paves the way for the development of the MGCSW headquarters and a safe house in Juba, along with two Women’s Economic Community Centers (WECCs) in Wau and Torit aimed at women’s social entrepreneurial advancement, providing inclusive spaces and resources to foster growth for women and girls.
