Commemoration of 16 Days of Activism

Hope Restoration SOUTH SUDAN Director's Remarks on the commemoration of 16 days of Activism against GBV.
The forces of good are slowly moving forward, yet the fight to end gender-based violence in South Sudan continues, Angel Jial Founder and Executive Director of Hope Restoration SOUTH SUDAN, a Non-governmental organization striving to reach out to men in order to promote gender equality through the promotion of positive masculinity and male engagement approaches in development programs, passionate and articulate women’s rights activist in South Sudan.
Engaging male champions in the fight to end Gender-Based Violence in South Sudan.
The forces of good are slowly moving forward, yet the fight to end gender-based violence in South Sudan continues, Angelina Nyajima Founder and Executive Director of Hope Restoration, a Non-governmental organization striving to reach out to other men in order to promote gender equality through the promotion of positive masculinity and male engagement approaches in development programs passionate and articulate women’s rights activist in South Sudan.
Angelina’s Speech during the 16 days of activism against Gender-Based Violence about Hope Restorations’ work in engaging men and boys to promote positive masculinity among communities in South Sudan.
What’s your motivation to be on the front-line?
We know how crucial it is to reach out to men in order to work together in challenging rigid norms that negatively affect women and children and support and influence their peers in adopting positive forms of masculinities to end men’s violence against women and children in South Sudan. There is need to empower and reach out to men so that they engage in gender equality practices through the promotion of positive masculine behaviors, and effective cross- gender dialogue in ending sexual and gender-based violence in South Sudan.
How has the GBV changed in South Sudan?
Over the years we have seen transformation mostly witnessed through the men engage approach, International Organizations like UNFPA, Saferworld, UNHCR, and UNDP have been working closely with different local organizations and have offered spaces that promote gender equality and fight gender-based violence. We however believe that GBV is an issue and women remain to be primarily affected.
Hope Restoration is a pacesetter in this fight. We will fasten the transformation process through continued discussions and actions on the causes of violent masculine behaviors and influence them for a positive change.
How do responders deal with the trauma?
Responders have had an opportunity to talk about how they felt during the abuse and how they were affected emotionally, mentally, or physically. We have seen healing from traumatic experiences possible and it’s happening often. During our training, and counseling especially couples training, we allow perpetrators to seek forgiveness from their spouses, this is usually the first step. When the victim forgives then the healing process starts and it is easier to carry on with conversations of change. This ends with grudges and enmity.
How does GBV change across the country through some of the strategic mechanisms including engaging men in sharing unpaid care work?
Today, one cannot hesitate to say that men play an important role in pacifying families, as well as being heroes in their story, they initiate solutions over inciting problems at home, by doing unpaid care work. To also challenge negative gender stereotypes and to address how unpaid and domestic work hinder the promotion of women’s rights for policy change, we continue to involve men and everyone else in the discussion -including individuals that community members work with and trust most, this also includes religious leaders.
What’s next for unpaid care work in South Sudan?
Unpaid domestic and care work is still primarily performed by women, although projects can involve males and shift gender norms to bring about a change. If such approaches are extended and scaled up, they will be easy to follow up on the couples that have manifested change.