Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Norwegian Ambassador to South Sudan, Linken Berryman, has challenged the South Sudanese to increase efforts in empowering women, especially in education if the full fruits of development are to be realized.
Speaking during the commemoration of international mother’s day held at the University of Juba yesterday, the diplomat said mothers are important not only in the family set-up but also in aiding the process of the implementation of the peace agreement.
“This celebration acknowledging females in academia is already an initiative in closing the gender gap. And also in light of International Women’s Month, I would like to encourage all of us to maximize the digital tools we have,” she said.
The ambassador stated that her embassy’s integral approach is devoted to women, and they continue to draw on their role in the peace processes in South Sudan.
“We have two strategic priorities within our women. “In terms of peace and security engagement, first we work to increase the participation of women in the peace processes and, secondly, to strengthen the rights of women and girls in South Sudan,” she said.
Berryman noted that maternal and infant mortalities are the key indicators of women’s health and should be kept as low as possible.
“Surveys by both UN agencies and partners like the World Bank tell a clear story. South Sudan has one of the highest maternal rates in the world…”The infant mortality rate is the highest in the world put together; it is clear that the risk for a woman to die, either during birth or labour, is extremely high, this must change,” she stressed.
The national Minister of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare, Ayaa Benjamin Warille, called on mothers to teach their children the importance of Mother’s Day.
“Let us teach our children, if we don’t teach them today, they will not recognize that. You need to instil in them when they are still young that there is something called Mother’s Day where you celebrate your mother when you appreciate her,” Ayaa said.
The minister said mothers often don’t get paid for being mothers, but their rewards come from the satisfaction of seeing their children being raised well.
“Most mothers would like to see their children doing better than them,” Ayaa said.
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