This report provides an analysis of gender dynamics in community social protection in Northern Bahr El Ghazal (NBG), South Sudan. The analysis is based on field research and a review of desk literature conducted in March 2025.  Semi-structured key informant interviews and focus group discussions were conducted in NBG and Juba with a total of 38 respondents (9 men and 29 women) respondents included individuals aged between 18 and 80 years, and from diverse social…

As donor aid is shrinking, the importance of social protection is growing, with more focus on how the most vulnerable members of communities can survive. The purpose of this research is to analyse how humanitarian aid-based social protection interacts with community-based social protection, and the conflict sensitivity risks involved. The CSRF team conducted focus group discussions (FGDs) and individual key informant interviews (KIIs) with representatives of I/NGOs, community, local authority, church, traders, among others in…

This report examines the policies for protection against sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) in South Sudan. Focusing on the effectiveness, relevance, coherence, efficiency, impact, and sustainability of the existing PSEA mechanisms and programmes, the report finds that several practices violate international protocols on prohibiting human trafficking, child marriage and sexual exploitation and abuse. The report provides insights on how country teams can explore ways of preventing potential violations, through advocacy and awareness raising campaigns to…

Using case studies of six countries, including South Sudan, this report explores the intersection between child trafficking and armed conflict. The report finds that child trafficking intersects with armed conflict through six grave violations, with gender playing a key role, and it identifies challenges with the legal and policy responses. Finally, the report provides suggestions on how to prevent and uphold accountability for perpetrators of child trafficking crimes. Read more here

This report explores experience of sexual violence survivals in accessing justice in South Sudan. Drawn from consultations with a group of women and girls from Bor, Bentiu and Juba, the report identifies some factors that contribute to the prevalence of sexual violence among women and girls in the country, and the related challenges that stand on the way of achieving justice. Finally, the report provides suggestions on how sexual violence survivors can effectively access justice….

Amid compounded shocks faced by South Sudan – such as conflict, displacement, climate change, and recently protracted flooding, this analysis focused on alternative livelihood strategies of South Sudan’s pastoralist communities. In particular, the analysis provides an overview of the change in livelihood portfolio, and the social impacts this has. For instance, shifts in gender and social norms are being witnessed, as the traditional division of labor within pastoral and agropastoral livelihood systems are forcibly being…

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…

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 explores the practice of bride prices in South Sudan and its related social, economic, and political implications on gender relations and violent conflict. The report suggests that the bride price appears to contribute to gender-based violence and violent conflict in the country. The report also provides insights on how stakeholders can tackle these challenges linked to the practice of bridge price.   Read more here

This report examines the extent to which sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) intersects with the ongoing cycles of violence in South Sudan and cultural norms. Using the case study of Wau town, the report finds a high prevalence of SGBV and identifies challenges that hamper efforts to address it, as well as provides recommendations on how to address the SGBV, including rape, through the legal, social and cultural measures. Read here

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