Watchdog slams ‘very poor’ women’s participation in Nairobi talks

NAIROBI – South Sudan’s civil society group Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) criticized the “very poor” representation of women in the ongoing Nairobi peace talks.

The talks, led by the Kenyan government, aim to bring opposition groups not part of the revitalized peace agreement on board. Civil society representatives from both inside and outside South Sudan will participate as observers.

“The Nairobi Peace Talks between the Government and the opposition parties who are not signatories to the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan is absolutely very poor in relation to Women participation and representation on the mediation process,” CEPO said in a statement extended to Sudans Post.

The statement highlighted the stark imbalance: while civil society has two female delegates out of six and the government has two women out of eleven, the opposition parties have zero female delegates.

“We are aware that some of the opposition parties have female members,” CEPO noted in the statement.

CEPO’s Statue of Women Initiative (SOWI) program specifically called out the opposition for neglecting women in their delegations.

“CEPO program of Statue of Women Initiative (SOWI) is absolutely disappointed by the opposition groups for sending their all delegates as male/men to the Nairobi peace talks besides them having strong and influential female/women members,” the statement said.

“This is unacceptable act and the Nairobi peace talk mediation leadership should pressure up the opposition to nominate female/women delegates before the talk enter into deep negotiation,” the statement added.

SOWI head Elizabeth Daniel emphasized the significance of women’s participation according to the statement.

“It is meaningless to say Nairobi peace talks is inclusive when women representation and participation from the opposition side is total zero,” Daniel said.

“This is a violation of the Maputo Protocol which South Sudan is a state party to it, South Sudan Constitution bill of rights article 14 on women rights and the country commitment for the affirmative action of 35% for women,” she added.

The statement also criticized the lack of women on the mediation panel.

CEPO urged Kenyan mediators to push for increased female representation from the opposition, according to the statement.

“CEPO-SOWI urge the Kenya mediation leadership to sincerely encourage the opposition parties to bring women delegates to the mediation table,” the said.

“The government and civil society have done best in bringing women delegates to the mediation table. The Opposition should not be allowed to give any excuse on absence of women delegates from their side. We have evidence that these groups have women strong members and supporter,” it concluded.