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South Sudan Ratifies Maputo Protocol, What Comes Next?
South Sudan recently ratified the African Union’s Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, also known as the Maputo Protocol, after years of delay. The ratification of the protocol is a welcomed step towards gender equality and should be followed by effective policies and strategies to ensure it makes a difference in people’s lives.
Background
The ratification process of the Maputo Protocol started when the government of South Sudan signed it in January 2013. However, Parliament ratified the agreement in October 2017 with several provisions, including discouraging polygamy and on sexual and reproductive health facing reservations. After years of advocacy by national and regional women’s rights groups, President Salva Kiir finally signed the instruments of ratification in March 2023.
Challenges Ahead
The ratification of the Maputo Protocol is just the beginning of the long journey towards gender equality in South Sudan. The government needs to adopt effective policies and strategies to enforce its terms. To start with, the minimum age of marriage should be set at 18 as South Sudan’s 2011 Transitional Constitution and the 2008 Child Act do not set an age limit, and child marriage continues to persist. The government should also finalize the Anti Gender-Based Violence Bill, which outlaws harmful customary and traditional practices and has been pending before the minister of justice since 2020, and take credible steps to end impunity related to conflict-related sexual violence since 2013 through the establishment of a Hybrid Court for South Sudan.
Role of Civil Society
In advancing education, economic empowerment, health, and freedom from violence for women and girls in South Sudan, Civil society groups should play a prominent role in the implementation of the Maputo Protocol. They should seek the withdrawal of reservations through advocacy, shadow reports, or strategic litigation.
Editorial and Advice
The ratification of the Maputo Protocol by South Sudan is a significant step towards gender equality, but there is still a long journey ahead. The government needs to adopt effective policies and strategies to enforce the protocol’s terms and ensure the protection and promotion of women and girls’ rights. Civil society groups, including women’s rights organizations, should continue advocating for the policy and legal reforms needed for the Maputo Protocol’s effective implementation. The goal should be for South Sudan to address the gender inequality and discrimination that has plagued the country and its people for years and create a conducive environment for women and girls to thrive.
<< photo by Antonio Herrera Palacios >>