By Oketayot Santo
The South Sudan`s National Council of Ministers on Friday approved a new policy guidelines for protection of survivors of Gender-based violence and protection of children from early and forced marriage.
Addressing reporters shortly after the cabinet meeting chaired by President Salva Kiir Mayardit, Deputy Minister of Information, Communication and Postal Services Dr. Jacob Maiju Korok said the Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfares Aya Benjamin Warile presented the policy aimed at protecting GBV survivors.
He said the policy guidelines is to ensure that survivors of gender based violence receives holistic, effective and comprehensive response service of support prevention and protections.
“This proposal aims to set minimum rules standards and procedures that should be followed by both public and private sectors intending to establish and manage safe homes for survivors of gender-based violence in South Sudan” Maiju said
“This policy is very important especially for South Sudanese people, we have bad practices in different tribes take for instance the Nilotics, Dinka, Murle, Nuer, Toposa they practice force marriages and we should not entertain this kind of policy or practice to enforce our kids to engage, you find a small kid is engaged to an old man and when she refuses the family will enforce her to marry which is against international law” he reiterated.
He said the cabinet also passed Public-private partnership policy aimed with an aim to achieve socio-economic development in the South Sudan and also to fulfill sustainable funding requirements in the supply of infrastructure through mobilization of the private sector.
“One of the goals of the Public-Private Partnership policy is one of the benchmark for successful conclusion of the agreement that could lead to elections at the end of the transitional period, the policy will foster economic growth by developing new commercial and investment opportunities for the local investors and foreign investments, increasing competitions in the provision of the public service” Dr. Maiju said
“The policy was debated and unanimously passed by council of ministers and directed the minister of investment to table it in the parliament for approval,” he said.
