The Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan, signed in August 2015 by parties including the President of South Sudan and the South Sudanese Armed Opposition, outlines a ceasefire and transition to peace following the outbreak of violence in 2013. Along with parameters for a transitional government and constitution, the document addresses women’s equality and inclusion in the government. With the support of USAID South Sudan and Democracy International, the Women’s Monthly Forum (WMF), a coalition of South Sudanese women’s non-governmental organizations, conducted a gender analysis of the agreement and published their findings. They assessed existing parameters and gave recommendations a more comprehensive approach to protecting women’s rights and reducing inequality.

WMF found that while the agreement contains various provisions for women’s inclusion, it leaves large areas open for improvement. The Peace Agreement calls for the creation of economic, judicial, and governing institutions to remedy the various issues women face in present day South Sudan as a result of the conflict. In addition, it requires eight major institutions to appoint women to government positions, even implementing quotas to ensure women’s participation. Overall, the Peace Agreement lists gender equality and women’s rights as a major purpose of the transitional government and Constitution to come. Furthermore, the agreement calls for consulting women’s organizations on certain policy areas and the inclusion of women in a ceasefire implementation reporting mechanism. WMF found that the agreement outlines roles for both civil society organizations and women’s organizations in the peace process and reflects the efforts made by the Peace Agreement’s parties to establish a foundation for peace.

Despite these positive findings, however, WMF’s report finds numerous areas left unaddressed. For example, the report identifies various ministries and processes, such as justice bodies and peace negotiations, that would be improved with subcommittees to address gender issues. Additionally, the report recognizes that the agreement leaves out provisions for state government gender inclusion and encouraging women’s election participation. They recommend further quotas in the transitional government and other bodies. They recognize that there are still open questions about how the agreement will be implemented that should be considered to ensure a peaceful transition. The report emphasizes the need for gender-based legislation to encode ideas in the Peace Agreement into law. The analysis also encourages women to consider action outside the parameters of the existing agreement to empower themselves and others. The report will assist WMF members in their efforts to advance a full implementation of the peace agreement and build a South Sudan where women’s voices are fully heard and equally valued.

Photo credit: UNMISS