Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The UN Women Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa Dr. Maxime Houinato has promised to closely monitor the donated $70 million for women’s empowerment to ensure accountability.
The $70 million International Development Association grant to boost women’s social and economic empowerment in South Sudan was approved by World Bank last year in May.
The South Sudan Women’s Social and Economic Empowerment Project aims to support female entrepreneurs in formulating and scaling up their business activities and helping survivors of gender-based violence access necessary services to rebuild their lives.
Addressing the delegates during the launch of the project yesterday in Juba, Dr. Houinato, said the project is targeting 261,000 women, men, and adolescent girls.
“By accountability, I mean physical responsibilities, zero tolerance on corruption, strongly controlled environment for the management of resources,” Dr. Houinato explained.
“I would like to call on civil society and businesses in South Sudan to be enriched with this program because when we talk of decision strengthening, we are not only talking about government institutions, we are also talking about civil organizations particularly women-owned and women-controlled businesses.”
Dr. Houinato appealed to the government to empower women-owned businesses in the country by facilitating their businesses.
He noted that inequality, health dangers, hunger, and poor nutrition often affect women and girls in the country.
Meanwhile, the UNFPA country representative Dr. Ademola Olajide said women cannot participate in the ambitions if they are not provided with the capacity for permanent solutions.
“We are looking forward to this initiative in a sense that we will be able to help women straitening their capacity and provide an environment to try.”
He continued that “in this country, gender-based violence is a pernicious hindrance to the capacity of women.”
Dr. Olajide said it was very vital to empower women so that they can be economically independent to get the ability to be able to decide.
“Every childbirth experience should be saved, every young girl, every young woman, every woman should be free from gender-based violence so that every woman contributes to peace implementation and sustainable development in this beautiful republic.”
Source: The City Review
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