I am a feminist, a fierce supporter of women, and a proud one at that. And yes, I am a man. But it is my humble belief that every human being, regardless of gender, should be pro-woman. Women are, after all, the very backbone of a nation and anyone who begs to differ is woefully out of touch with the reality on the ground. From nurturing children from the moment they make their grand entrance into the world, to sacrificially taking care of the men in their lives so that they can confidently face the world, women have consistently been the foundation that all strong societies are built upon.

And yet, the women of South Sudan have been relegated to being second-class citizens in their own land for far too long. My support for women, therefore, stems not from spineless pandering or jumping onto populist bandwagons. No. It is premised on my understanding that without women, our society, as we know it would crumble, and so we must empower our women. We have no choice if this country is to achieve its development goals as set out in the South Sudan Vision 2040 and the 2021–2024 revised national development strategy (R-NDS).

However, it is not important what I think. The question is, what do you think as a South Sudanese woman reading my words? Are you cognisant of just how important you are to this country’s future, especially now that we are on the verge of our first-ever national elections? Do you realise just how much you can actually shape the trajectory of this country?

This is the million-dollar question.

I strongly believe that the women’s vote can make or break the 2024 elections. A quick look at our statistics reveals the powerful position that women in this country currently find themselves in. At 50.5% of the country’s population based on the latest World Bank statistics,^[1] women represent the majority of the South Sudanese adult population. What this simply means is that if South Sudanese women come together and vote as a bloc, they will emerge as the most powerful voting demographic in this country. Imagine if all women in the country united behind the right leaders– we would certainly elect the visionary and ethical type of leaders who can push this nation forward.

A deep dive into the history of women’s political participation in South Sudan reveals just how instrumental women have been in this country’s political processes. Generally speaking, women’s political participation in Sudan can be traced back to 1950 following the formation of the Sudanese Women’s Union (SWU). SWU represented a strong movement of women fighting for political change as the union clamoured to achieve positive changes for women in terms of reducing female illiteracy, ending pay and job discrimination, and securing women’s right to vote. However, the advocacy efforts by the SWU did not yield much for South Sudanese women as compared to Arab women. It was not inclusive because it was seen as being urban-based and mostly beneficial to Arab women due to British divisive tactics and the discriminatory nature of educational policies developed by Khartoum-based regimes.

There are noteworthy South Sudanese women who have been part of our collective struggle based on their involvement in our liberation wars and the civil war in South Sudan. One of the revolutionary women whose contributions we must acknowledge is the late SPLM/SPLA Commander Ager Gum. She is one of our unsung heroines and was an active military commander in both the Anyanya One Movement (1962-1972) and the SPLM/SPLA (1983-2005) armed revolutionary struggles against successive Khartoum regimes. Moreover, we must acknowledge all the women who farmed and helped provide food to the soldiers of the Liberation Movement. Without them, the liberation would have been impossible.

I must also recognise Hon. Victoria Yar Arol, another trailblazing woman in our political landscape. She was the first Southern Sudanese woman to graduate from the University of Khartoum in 1972 and later became a vocal politician after winning an election to the Regional Assembly for the Bahr El Ghazal Province. Hon. Yar served during the tumultuous years following the Addis Ababa Agreement and is still fondly remembered for her tough speeches on the floor as a leader of young MPs who took their oversight role over the regional government very seriously.

Over the past 20 years, we have started to realise more gains for women. 2004 was a particularly watershed moment when the Sudanese government adopted a new constitution that provided for the equal participation of men and women in civic and political life. Furthermore, the Supreme Court of Sudan ruled that political parties that actively discriminate against women did not have the right to operate in the country.

Then, in the independent South Sudan, and through the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS), women have been assigned a 35% quota across all government institutions. This remains one of the biggest political accomplishments to date.

Since then, there have been changes in legislation that affect women across South Sudan. For instance, several states, such as Lakes State under the able leadership of Gen. Rin Tueny, have at the local level adopted laws focusing on women’s empowerment, including regulations that prohibit forced and early marriages, promote girl-child education, guarantee gender equality in public offices and legal protection for women’s right to work in politics. These laws have opened opportunities for women to hold public office and to participate in the electoral process.

Challenges and cultural shackles still abound that hold our women back. Politically, women’s participation remains low even with the existing legal and regulatory framework. In my opinion, this is due to the lack of investment in women candidates by political parties, both in terms of finances and a political effort to reform internal regulations and protocols that would guarantee equal participation for men and women. And this boils down to our culturally patriarchal society that, regrettably, continues to denigrate women.

So, what should women do going forward? Women need to take back their power and take up their rightful place in South Sudan’s political space. Inasmuch as political parties should reform their internal policies and structures to allow women to access positions of power and decision-making, women cannot wait for this to happen. Time is of the essence. We have less than a year before the 2024 National Elections, and this means that women should have started actively participating in the election process by yesterday.

What can women practically do in their everyday lives? Here are my 3 humble recommendations I propose:

1. Peer Education: women, especially educated women, should take it upon themselves to educate each other. Women’s illiteracy in the country (28.86 %) is still a major impediment; educating the illiterate women in their midst on their rights and the issues that they need to be concerned with in the elections, educated women will go a long way in closing the knowledge gap amongst women.
2. Community-based Cooperatives and Saccos: all across the country, many women empower each other financially through their Saccos and Cooperatives. These provide an excellent platform for women to unite and agree on the issues that matter to them the most; and make use of them.
3. Support Women Candidates: it is often said that women are their own worst enemies, which I do not believe. Dear women, use this election to prove the naysayers wrong by supporting all women candidates. There is power in numbers– the greater the female representation, the greater the chances that your concerns will be addressed.

I therefore call upon Hon. Nyandeng Malek Dielic (South Sudan’s first elected female governor and a current MP), Hon. Jemma Nunu Nkumba (Speaker of the Revitalised Transitional National Legislative Assembly), Hon. Awut Deng Achuil (Minister of General Education) and Hon. Aya Benjamin Warille (Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare) to exemplarily lead the way for women in the forthcoming elections. In addition, I encourage groups led by women such as the South Sudan Women Empowerment Network and the Ma’Mara Sakit to conduct civic education.

All in all, the women’s vote in the upcoming 2024 South Sudan National Elections will be significant, yet I am afraid that our women are not aware of how powerful of a demographic they are.

As a man, I can confidently say that the future of this country lies squarely in the hands of our women. Ladies, this is not the time to watch on the sidelines.

This is the time for you to chart the course of our beloved country’s future.

And the great news is, the power is in your hands!

The power lies with you. And the time is now.

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^[1] The World Bank. (2022). In 2021, South Sudan’s female population amounted to approximately 5.43 million, while the male population amounted to approximately 5.32 million inhabitants. Available online at: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL.FE.ZS?locations=SS