This research makes concrete programmatic, administrative and funding priorities for supporting women’s leadership work – rooted in a thorough investigation of the ways women of different socio-economic background fight to take up positions of authorities in the country. The process is recognized as being non-linear, uneven and socially complex, with stark differences between urban and rural spaces, across geographic regions and social classes. The research also highlights the crucial differences between participation and recognition, at…
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CSRF Research Repository
The CSRF Research Repository aims to support greater contextual knowledge for policy makers, programme managers, and implementers by providing a searchable repository of research, analysis, and resources, and providing periodic updates on new research and analysis.
This paper aims to investigate the negative involvement of young people in South Sudan pre and post-independence conflicts. Through primary and secondary data, the paper argues these young people – who indeed took arms in the conflicts – were victims of their political and economic circumstances, and as such should also be included in post-conflict peacebuilding processes such as disarmament, demobilization and reintegration. Read more here
Girls and women in South Sudan face numerous barriers and challenges: customary law often denies women the right to own land, girls’ access to education remains precarious and harmful traditional practices continue to place women and girls at risk of gender-based sexual violence. In South Sudan the traditional practice of blood compensation for murder is used by many communities as part of the reconciliation process between families and communities. The legality of the practice, which…
This report examines the roles of women in peace and conflict resolution processes in South Sudan. It highlights how women navigate systemic exclusion and use cultural practices like songs and dance to assert their voices and influence decisions. Despite historical gender norms restricting their participation, women have made significant contributions to peacebuilding. The report emphasizes the importance of recognizing and supporting women’s involvement in peace processes through policy, training, and community initiatives to achieve sustainable…
Women in South Sudan are subject to limited access to political, economic, social resources due to the country’s rigid patriarchal structure. Nevertheless, women have been negotiating their agency and influence for decades, playing a crucial role in state-building, peacebuilding, and development processes. Beyond their formal role as agents of peace, considering the informal dimensions through which South Sudanese women influence peace and conflict are vastly significant for aid actors to grasp conflict dynamics and the…
This report aims at shedding a light on needs and perspective of local women in South Sudan in Bor and Malakal, as well as offering recommendations for aid actors. The report argues that despite the existence of several laws protecting their safety, women still feel insecure. This is partly due to the lack of enforcement of said laws, the entrenched cultural norms, and the struggle of women to claim their rights. Read more here
Focusing on the governor of Western Bar El Ghazel state, Sarah Cleto, this Situation Update discusses successes and challenges of her administration. Despite her grassroots popularity, members of the opposition are calling for her removal. Attempts to replace Cleto, however, have been stalled by internal power struggles—highlighting the complexities of Western Bahr el Ghazal’s ethnic politics. Read here
This article in the Horn of Africa Bulletin conducts a thorough analysis of the persistent exclusion of women from decision-making processes in peacebuilding initiatives across the Horn of Africa, employing South Sudan as a case study. The article takes a deep dive into outlining the importance of women’s inclusion in peace processes, not just as a matter of justice and rights, but also for achieving more comprehensive and lasting peace outcomes. Read more here
Focusing on gender in South Sudan, this meta-analysis provides an overview of the literature available on gender dynamics with a special attention on women. It looks at their role in politics and peacebuilding, conflict related sexual violence (CRSV) and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and explores the changing roles of women in times of conflict. The analysis concludes with a brief assessment of gendered access to education and its evolution over time.
This article explores the everyday politics of protecting women from war and atrocities, based on ethnographic work within the United Nations Protection of Civilians sites, South Sudan. It examines the heterogenous ways that peacekeepers and displaced people conceptualised and enacted women’s rights and protection inside the sites. Protection and gender were variously interpreted, resisted, and transformed. But sexual and gender-based violence remained rife in these makeshift ‘safe havens’. These experiences demonstrate that international peacebuilders cannot…
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