Empowering Women: A New Dawn for Malakal’s Leadership

In a stride towards gender equality in political empowerment, the National Press Club South Sudan (NPC-SS) held a project inception meeting in Malakal. The team, comprising Director Ochaya James and Malakal Field Officer Ms. Nyaroun Gabriel, engaged with Upper Nile State authorities, including the Women Parliamentary Caucus, the Chief Whip of the state legislative assembly, and representatives from various political parties.

Hon. Naoma John Chol, the State Legislative Assembly Chief Whip and acting Chairperson for the Upper Nile State Women Parliamentary Caucus, welcomed the team with enthusiasm. She expressed gratitude to UN Women and NPC for selecting Malakal as a beneficiary of the “Women’s Leadership and Political Participation during South Sudan’s Transition Period” project. “Women are the most marginalized and underrepresented in key leadership spaces, the project shall serve as an eye-opener for the women of Upper Nile State, encouraging them to claim their spaces at all levels of government.” Hon. Noama said.

Hon. Pal Ruach Duoth, Deputy Speaker of Upper Nile State Legislative Assembly, affirmed the state leadership’s commitment to supporting the project. Acknowledging the challenges limiting women’s representation in government, including language barriers, lack of capacity building, and limited awareness, he underscored promoting active and meaningful participation of women in the political decision-making process.

Ms. Nyaroun Gabriel highlighted the project’s goals, which seeks to address structural barriers to women’s inclusion, provide technical support to women leaders, candidates, and women-led Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and promote collective gender equality advancement among all stakeholders. “We aim to raise awareness of women’s leadership and political participation through government, media, and CSOs,” Ms. Gabriel said.

Executive Director, Ochaya James expressed gratitude to the leadership of Upper Nile State for the warm reception. He reiterated NPC’s commitment to ongoing engagement with different stakeholders throughout the project’s implementation. “The spirit of cooperation is essential for us to achieve the objectives of this project. Together we can realize the agenda of just governance in Upper Nile State.” James said.

The inception meeting marks a fruitful beginning of a women empowerment project funded by Peace-building Fund through UN Women in Malakal, Upper Nile State.

Hon. Naoma (C), Nyaroun Gabriel(L), and James Ochaya(R) during project inception meeting in Malakal. Photo; Office manager

Members of inception meeting in a group photo. Photo; office manager, Women Parliamentary Caucus