Angelina Teny pledges to include women in security sector reform

JUBA – South Sudan’s Minister of Defense and Veteran Affairs, Angelina Jany Teny, on Monday revealed plans to include more women in the security sector reform.

Teny who is also a senior member of the opposition SPLM-IO called on the UN Women to set up a policy framework to ensure the inclusion and participation of women in organized forces.

“We do not take this lightly, despite the fact that the policy framework that will be guiding this process of ensuring inclusion and participation of women in the organize forces, still in the pipeline, it does not prevent us from embarking on the work,” Angelina said during opening of consultative workshop organized by UN Women in Juba on Monday.

Angelina stressed the need to develop a specific policy for gender inclusion in the army, police, and national security.

“It is important that we also develop a specific policy for gender inclusion and this will include all the element of ensuring retention within the organized forces.”

“Security sector until it become diverse, until it become representative of all the citizens of the country you will also miss out on the perspective of a big chunk of society and particularly when we talk about women.”

She said security-related issues have a negative impact on women and that they involve in it.

“Security issues impact women probably more than anybody else and it would not be right to just leave it to males, it is important that women are involve and they are part of it so that at least their perceive, the reed their requirement become part and parcel of the law enforcement, protection and defense of the state,” she said.

“We are implementing agreement that has provision that requires mainstreaming gender in the organize forces not only in the army,” she added.