South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has called on the transitional government of national unity to strengthen and integrate gender considerations in matters related to land, climate change, and disaster risk reduction.
David Kwaje, head of the IGAD mission, emphasised the importance of including women in land ownership to enhance their access to credit, decision-making power, and control over land.
“One key area in reducing women’s vulnerabilities concerns their relationship to land. Women’s ownership of land is a key element of a highly diversified livelihood strategy and a crucial part of reducing the vulnerabilities of women, their families, and their communities,” said Kwaje on Thursday at Afex Hotel during the opening of the two-day dialogue for women parliamentarians on land, environment, and disaster risk..
“We all know very well that when women do not have effective ownership over land, this negatively influences decisions about long-term investment in the land as well as their ability to access financial services,” he said.
The consultative meeting for women parliamentarians aims to capacitate them in their day-to-day activities regarding land, environment, and disaster risk under the theme: “Leveraging Women’s Leadership for Women’s Tenure Security and Climate Resilience.”
HON. Awerial Aluong, the Deputy Speaker of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly, said the transitional government has developed a land policy for the fair and effective governance of land.
“The issue of land is well defined in the national dialogue on gender and climate resilience. In South Sudan, women are not really recognised in issues concerning land; girls are not given land. We have 35 percent affirmative action, and even women can be given only 35 percent,” said Aluong.
Viola Samuel, the Chairperson of the Women Parliamentary Caucus, said land is an essential resource for improving women’s livelihoods, adding that land needs to be fairly and effectively governed to avoid conflict.
Samuel revealed that the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) region is working effectively to improve the land governance system, adding that South Sudan must not be left behind.
“Land is more than just a natural resource in South Sudan; it is our identity, our livelihood, our history, and our future. As we all know, it is also a source of conflict when it is not governed fairly and effectively,” she said.
The dialogue aims to strengthen the capacities of women parliamentarians to mainstream gender in their work related to land, climate change, disaster risk reduction, and to actively influence the government for gender mainstreaming in policies, programmes, legislation, and budgeting.
