The cases of sexual and gender-based violence including rape and child marriage are alarming although not unique to South Sudan.
The government of South Sudan was hailed for establishing Gender-Based Violence Court which is providing plethora of services from psychosocial support and legal services.
“There are counsellors to do with psychosocial support, there is also legal services, the judicial system is involved all the way in juvenile and gender -based violence court, those are really good practices,” Lydia Zigomo, UNFPA Regional Director for East and Southern Africa said after visiting the One Stop Center at Juba Teaching hospital.
She also noted that one stop center handling reports of gender-based violence is offering holistic and integrated package of health services including judicial services to victims of sexual and gender- based violence.
“When women and girls present themselves or are presented having suffered the effects of sexual and gender-based violence, the center provides holistic services, the diagnosis, testing and treatment are all available in one place which saves the victim to move to many places looking for help” Zigomo said.
Antony Lupai, the Director General for Juba Teaching Hospital thanked UNFPA for continuous support extended to the one-stop center.
“We are happy that drugs are made available, the government is doing its task to provide little, there is still a need for more support so that we do not have our indicators sliding down as they were in some years back” Lupai said.
Majority of sexual and gender- based violence are not being reported due to fear of stigma which is rooted to culture. There is need for people to report but they become more conservative in the South Sudan society where women do not report anything to do with rape and gender-based violence.
Despite the setbacks, Paul Jenaru Solomon, the Legal Officer at the one-stop center located at Juba Teaching Hopsital, said there has been progress particularly in the sectors of health and gender. The support of partners especially UNFPA has been key to raise awareness of prevention, reporting, and response to cases of SGBV.
Looking at the statistics at the center, the number of people who have accessed legal services is more than 400, and more than 45 cases have been convicted, and the perpetrators have faced the law. He however, recently the number of rape cases reporting to the one-stop center have increased.
“I advise the citizens of South Sudan that we need to take care of our sisters and our daughters, it is always a friend who commits the crime, we need to take care of our kids” Jenaru said
Ms. Zigomo noted that Gender-Based Violence is still devastating in South Sudan which she has heard from various conversations in most meetings. Young nations like South Sudan emerging out of conflict a few years ago have countries with best practices to learn from.
At the same site visit, the RD visited UNFPA warehouse located at Juba Teaching hospital where she was walked through inspecting the commodities and explanations on how the management of commodities reach the beneficiaries to save lives at the last mile.
