UNDP South Country office is delighted to join the UN family, partners, the citizens of South Sudan, and the entire globe in marking International Women’s Day. UNDP acknowledges the significance of the day, which calls for action to ‘increase investment in women,’ as well as celebrating the progress made towards achieving gender equality and women's empowerment.

In acknowledgment of the need for accountability and action, we appreciate the Government of South Sudan for selecting a highly relevant theme this year: Accelerate Gender Equality through Inclusion and Access to productive resources for women and girls. This theme is in line with the global theme: ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress.’ This year’s Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) is similarly themed as "Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective."

UNDP recognizes and commends the progress made by the government of South Sudan and other actors in advancing the gender agenda through policy formulation and increasing women's representation in decision-making positions. We join the women in celebrating the advancements made in women’s representation in decision-making positions. Significantly, women have secured positions such as the Speaker of the Transitional National Assembly and the first deputy of the Council of States, and they also hold top positions in key executive offices. It is our hope to witness further progress, especially in the implementation of the gender quota enshrined in the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) and the roadmap.

We also recognize the enormous obstacles women face — from structural injustices, marginalization, and violence, to cascading crises worsened by weak rule of law and impunity for GBV perpetrators; patriarchal and harmful socio-cultural norms; poor existence and implementation of national legal frameworks. We appreciate the collective efforts of development partners and national counterparts in addressing these challenges and advocating for an end to this brutal violence as a human rights concern.

Through this call to action, we are joining the globe in raising voices to increase investment in women and advance gender equality in South Sudan. This includes efforts to prioritize the delivery of key services for women, as well as prioritizing women’s economic and political inclusion and participation. We also call for strengthening partnerships to work together for the transformation of the lives of women and girls, leaving no one behind.