Women in Tonj doing it for themselves

“Treating women as equals and valuing them as members of the community will accelerate peace,” says 48-year-old Maria Agok Mapoul of Achol Manet village, Tonj South in South Sudan’s Warrap state.

Maria is one of 16 participants of a workshop organized by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and a national partner, The Organisation of Children’s Harmony (TOCH). The workshop brought together men and women from two communities - Tonj South in Warrap State and Jur River in Western Bahr el Ghazal State - that experience seasonal conflict to engage, explore and understand the gender issues which contribute to cycles of cattle-related conflict and violence affecting women and girls within homes and communities.

Maria says that for years, “women have been left behind” and that trainings on empowerment of women is giving women the confidence to know that they can take up leadership roles in their communities and contribute to peacebuilding efforts.

“Culture has always ‘tied us up’ but it is good that as men and women we can come together and talk about sharing roles and responsibilities and understanding that women have an important and significant role to play in South Sudan,” she says.

Maria said that the workshop opened her mind about the possibility of her becoming an independent woman by changing her own attitudes about what a woman can do or not do as expected by society.

Maria says her husband has 28 wives which forced her to learn to depend on herself and not her husband.

“I used to beg for money from him [her husband] but the money he sent was never enough to support me and my eight children. The workshop and being surrounded by other women made me feel that I do not need a man to be independent because I am free,” says Maria.

Following the training, Maria started a small business selling mandazi, a local delicacy resembling a donut to help provide for her children.

“My dream is to grow my business and open a restaurant,” says Maria.

Maria was also elected as Chairperson of the Guir Baai Village Savings and Loans Group that was started by a group of women in her village. Members of the group collectively save money which is partly used to help women in the community who are survivors of Gender-Based Violence.

“We meet every Saturday and identify who needs support – we then buy sugar, soap and other supplies for those who are in need,” says Maria.

Maria says she believes she was elected as chairperson because of the self-confidence she gained following the Gender workshop.

The Guir Baai women’s group also seek to promote peace; they hold discussions in different areas within the community to discuss issues that women face and how to address them to promote peaceful coexistence.

The Peace Building Project is funded by the United Nations Multi-Partner Trust Fund, under the terms of the the South Sudan Reconciliation, Stabilization and Resilience Trust Fund (RSRTF).