Photo Story: Reflections & Celebrations on International Women's Day

In Mvolo and Yirol, South Sudan

The NP team working in Mvolo County, South Sudan, travelled to the town of Wowo to celebrate International Women's Day on March 8. NP and the community focused on a specific theme:
“Embrace Equity By Creating an Inclusive Community.”

“Women don’t have safe spaces where they can voice their concerns. But through the dialogues and community protection meetings (supported by NP since last year), we have been able to speak up about issues affecting us in our communities to the local authorities and the local leaders; We are happy that we are given space to talk and being listened to.”

-Woman Representative from Aluok Luok Payam

A total of 120 people (29 women, 16 men, and 80 youth) joined in the celebration.

The communities recognized that the NP teams in Mvolo and Yirol have been working on:

- strengthening gender-inclusive community resources and groups
- promoting dialogue and reconciliation, and
- reducing violence between farming and cattle-keeping communities. 

Building a solid foundation for sustainable peace takes time. That's why, even though the first phase of the project was only from December 2021 to May 2022, the community members told NP that they were interested in continuing the work.

Before the first phase of the project ended in 2022, women, youth, and local leaders from the area gathered together. They drafted an agreement that identified shared protection concerns & strategies for engaging women and youth in community decision-making.

Under the revised structures, women will play key leadership roles in organizing dialogue and reconciliation activities between the Mvolo and Yirol communities.

Currently, NP is concentrated on supporting Mvolo and Yirol with building on their previous progress through strengthening gender-inclusive community resources and groups.

One local administrator emphasized the responsibility and need for boys and men in the community to join hands in enhancing women's inclusion in decision-making processes:

“We are still striving to fight violence against women and girls such as child marriage, domestic violence, and sexual gender-based violence (in our community). During the trainings organized by Nonviolent Peaceforce last year and this year, I have come to know that the stability and growth of our society depend on ensuring the well-being of women and girls, and their participation in leadership as well. As a result, men and boys have to be crucial allies in empowering women and girls.”

-Payam Administrator of Bar El Grindi Payam, Mvolo County

With your support, NP will continue working with the Yirol and Mvolo communities to encourage dialogue, reduce violence, and strengthen gender inclusivity.

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Made possible through collaboration with the French Embassy in South Sudan and supporters like you.