I am honored to share this message of solidarity with the resilient women of South Sudan as they joined the world in marking International Women’s Day 2023 under the global theme:’’DigitalAll: Innovation and technology for gender equality and the national theme: Promote Gender Equality through Innovative Technology towards a better South Sudan. 

International women’s day serves as an excellent opportunity for celebrating the resilience and achievement of women and girls across all walks of life, in all corners of the world, and to spotlight that gender equality is a human rights issue; since many women worldwide still suffer because of their gender. We do acknowledge that gender bias exists and, therefore, continue to emphasize the need to break the prejudices collectively in our communities, schools, colleges and universities. We trust that women’s full inclusion in all facets of society would contribute to greater resilience, peace, and stability in South Sudan. 

This year’s theme: stresses the need for technology and innovation to advance gender equality. What does that mean in the context of South Sudan? and. “How can we leverage technology and innovation not only to close the gap on gender equality, but to also peace, stability and development”? We acknowledge that we operate in a challenging environment regarding gender issues; however, we believe in the abilities and strength of South Sudanese women and girls. We are proud of your journey of achieving your well-deserved recognition as important partners for the development of your country.  

Some of the important lessons that we learned from working with women in general, and South Sudanese women specifically, is that women in resilience context are stronger than they think but might not have the right environment and resources to release their potential. Therefore, we encourage you to be more supportive of one another and not to shy off from exploring opportunities in the technological world to build on your potential and celebrate each other’s success. 

We have the following messages for you; 
International Women’s Day is a call to action. We encourage South Sudanese women and girls to explore opportunities in the ICT world to advance their knowledge and build their skills, expand their businesses, and promote peace and development. To do so, we join the national Ministry of Gender, Child and social welfare in passing the following messages and work collectively to:
•    Close the digital divide and increase the representation of women and girls in science and technology. 
•    Support women and girls to achieve Digital knowledge.
•    Protect the rights of women and girls in Cyberspace.
•    Stop cyber harassment against women and girls.

In conclusion, I would like to quote a call made by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres ‘Let us work together – across governments, the private sector, and civil society – to build a more inclusive, just, and prosperous world for women, girls, men, and boys everywhere.’ 
We continue to stand by you and support your gender equality journey for a sustainable tomorrow —happy International Women’s Day.