The first National Conference of its kind in South Sudan. The International Day of the Girl Child National Conference brought together over 250 participants from diverse backgrounds including schools, Development partners, Chiefs, Diplomatic missions, Civil Society groups, Donor agencies, community representatives, executive leaderships of Parents-Teachers’ Associations (PTAs), the media to mention but a few.
Daresalam sharing her aspirations: “She wants to be an electric engineer because Juba operates on Generator and its dangerous and costly” she says
11th October is annually celebrated globally as the Day of the Girl Child. The main aims of the day are to promote girl’s empowerment and fulfilment of their human rights while also highlighting the challenges that girls all over the world face. This year the international theme is “Empower girls: Before, during and after conflict”. However, CREW in partnership and with support from United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) celebrated the day under the theme: Protect our girls from Child Marriage during and after conflict”
Hon. Deng Deng Hoc, Minister of General Education and Instruction giving opening remarks at the conference
The One-Day conference is one of the activities under CREW ongoing media campaign “Too Young to be Married” supported by UNFPA to raise awareness on the issue of Child Marriage in South Sudan.
Child marriage is one of the most widespread violation of children’s rights with girls being the most victims. Over 40% of girls in South Sudan are married off before their 18th birthday. To promote girls’ empowerment and fulfilment of their human rights in South Sudan begins with eradication of Child Marriage. Young girls in South Sudan are hungry for education and can only be empowered through their increased enrolment, retention and completion of all levels of education.
The objectives of the conference were to:
- Give young girls a platform to share their challenges and aspirations
- Generate solutions in form of actions points by both government institutions and donor agencies on how to address the challenges young girls face in South Sudan
young girls listening to the Child Bride sharing her life experience and how she got her life back together after
The presentation of Child Marriage Situational analysis based on the rapid assessment of drivers and consequences of Child Marriage in South Sudan, 2017 at the beginning of the conference gave a clear contextual analysis overview that guided the conversation throughout the day.
The One-Day Conference entailed: Two extensive panel discussions with moderated sessions of engagement between panellists and audience through question/answer sessions.
The first panel had panellists from the ministries of Health, Education and Gender, Child & Social Welfare. The ministerial representatives made presentations on their commitments towards the implementation of the Strategic National Action Plan to end Child Marriage in South Sudan by 2030.
The second Panel Discussion had donor representatives from Girls Education South Sudan, UNICEF and UNFPA-South Sudan and a representative from the council of chiefs. The donor representatives shared their commitments for South Sudanese girls.
A panelist: Regina Osso, Director General of Gender, Child & Social Welfare making a presenation on the ministry’s commitments on ending Child Marriage in South Sudan
The testimony from a Child Bride visually brought out the magnitude of the horrific realities of early unwanted teenage pregnancy/child marriage and the effects on young girls in South Sudan. Poni Hellen had the audience in tears of sorrow and joy at the same time. However, a 14-year-old Daresalam lightened up the day with her aspirations that strongly reminded each and every one of their role in ensuring that children grow up in a peaceful country with functional institutions that support children to realize their dreams.
The interludes inform of extremely insightful & educative drama plays and poems from students highlighting not just Child Marriage but the various forms of gender based violence ranging from family to institutional levels, including a closing performance a newly produced song one who produced a song on ending Child Marriage by a local artist all contributed to the success of the day.
participants listening to a survivor sharing her testimony
This National Conference was the first of its kind in South Sudan to bring together adolescent girls and boys, local chiefs, donor agents, government and community representatives, parents, teachers, diplomatic missions, development partners, civil society groups and various individuals together to discuss challenges young girls face with focus on Child Marriage and commitments from all stakeholders on how to realize full and effective implementation of the National Action Plan to end Child Marriage in South Sudan as the first step towards empowering girls.
