ACCORD, in collaboration with the African Union Mission in South Sudan (AUMISS), together with the Ministry of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare, conducted a Training of Trainers (ToT) Workshop for South Sudanese Women Mediators and Peacebuilders representing the FemWise South Sudan Chapter. The ToT which took place from 21–26 August, 2023, in Wau (Western Bahr el Gazel State), South Sudan, forms part of ACCORD’s ongoing interactions following the three-day Strategic Thinking Workshop that was held in Juba, South Sudan in November 2022, where a roadmap Chapter was established.
The training provided, supports the establishment of a formal and formidable FemWise South Sudan chapter that can be commissioned at both national and grassroots levels to mitigate and resolve disputes and conflicts in South Sudan. The six-day training included twenty-six women from the ten states and three administrative capitals of South Sudan, thus ensuring full country representation. The delegates included the State Minister for Peacebuilding, State Director General in the Ministry of Peacebuilding, clergywomen, students, and members of Parliament, among others.
The training programme content covered, conflict resolution, mediation strategy and process design, translating the training into the community/country context, and training preparation. The process allowed for content preparation and practical application sessions. The delegates highlighted key challenges that women still face in various states of South Sudan with the most evident being cultural norms, cattle raiding, intercommunal conflicts, discrimination, and lack of economic opportunities. They also emphasized the importance of addressing these issues in order to promote peace and stability in the country, as well as the need for continued support and resources towards women empowerment programmes. These strategic thinking and training programme interventions will lend support towards ensuring their meaningful participation in peace-building efforts at the grassroots level.
Overall, the ToT programme equipped participants with the necessary tools and knowledge to effectively engage with communities and contribute to the resolution of disputes and conflicts in South Sudan. The workshop concluded with draft action plans for each of the states represented, detailing their various peacebuilding activities within their respective states. At the High Level closing ceremony, the State Governor for Western Bahr el Gazel State, Honourable. Sarah Cleto Hassan encouraged the women to lead community dialogues in order to realize genuine peace in South Sudan. As part of the development of the FemWise-South Sudan Chapter, the official launch is planned to take place in the first quarter of 2024. ACCORD remains committed to providing its support to the local chapter as part of its strategic objectives towards advancing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda at the national and local levels.
