South Sudan receives $70 million Grant for Empowerment of Women

An official said that the World Bank has given South Sudan $70 million to support SSWSEEP (social and economic empowerment of women) on 25^th May, 2023.

According to Firas Raad, the World Bank's country manager for South Sudan, the grant is intended to assist female entrepreneurs in formalising and expanding their business operations as well as to assist victims of gender-based violence (GBV) in gaining access to crucial services that will help them heal and rebuild their lives, according to the Xinhua news agency.

In order to lessen fragility, promote inclusive development, and enable peacebuilding, he continued, the project places a special emphasis on women and youth. In order to assure long-term benefits for future generations of South Sudanese women and girls, he said the initiative adopts a holistic strategy that aims to increase the public sector's capacity to engage more actively in the area of women's empowerment.

"Gender-based assault survivors need a lot of assistance to get over the physical and mental trauma they've gone through. In addition to enhancing the prevention of GBV, this project will increase their access to crucial health treatments and psychosocial support”, Firas told media in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

He stated that through offering funds, training, and technical assistance, the project will also assist women in expanding their enterprises and enhancing their standard of living.

The SSWSEEP is made up of four parts that work together to address the unique issues affecting the growth and development of women in South Sudan. These parts are community-based socioeconomic empowerment of women, creating a facility for women to pursue their own businesses, offering services to those who have experienced gender-based violence, and supporting institutional strengthening and project management.

Women have historically supported their families and communities through entrepreneurial endeavours, according to Aya Benjamin Warile, Minister for Gender, Child and Social Welfare, but their advancement has frequently been hampered by a combination of institutional barriers, prevailing social norms, and a lack of access to financing, education, business services, and training.

South Sudan will become more peaceful and rich by enabling women to fully engage in civic and economic life. Other aspects of women's life will also improve as their ability to pay for health care and educate their children increases, and they are more likely to take on leadership positions in their communities and act as change agents as a result.