Visiting UNFPA regional director commends establishment of GBV court
The government has been hailed for establishing Gender-Based Violence Court which is providing plethora of services from psychosocial support and legal services.
“There are counselors to do with psychosocial support, there is also legal services, the judicial system is involved all the way in juvenile and gender -based violence court, those are really good practices,” Lydia Zigomo, the visiting United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Regional Director for East and Southern Africa said.
Zigomo was speaking during press conference held in Juba Teaching Hospital.
She also noted that one stop center handling reports of gender-based violence is offering holistic and integrated package of health services including judicial services to victims of sexual and gender- based violence.
“When women and girls present themselves or are presented having suffered the effects of sexual and gender-based violence, they provide holistic services, the diagnosis, testing and treatment are all available,” Zigomo said.
Antony Lupai, the Director General for Juba Teaching Hospital thanked UNFPA for supporting the one-stop center with drugs.
“We are happy that drugs are made available, the government is doing its task to provide little, there is still a need for more support so that we do not have bad indicators coming back as they were some years back,” Lupai said.
Michael Mading, the Director General for Sexual Reproductive Health in the National Ministry of Health, said that majority of sexual and gender- based violence are not being reported due to fear of stigma.
“There is a big need for people to come and report but people are trying to be more conservative in this society, women do not report things to do with rape, and things to do with gender-based violence,” Mading said.
Paul Jenaru Solomon, the Legal Officer at the GBV one-stop center, said there has been progress particularly in the sectors of health and gender.
“The number of people who have accessed legal services is more than 400, we also have more than 45 cases which have actually been convicted, and the perpetrators have been taken to Juba central prison,” Jenaru said.
He however, noted that of recent the number of rape cases reporting to the one-stop center has increased.
“I advise the citizens of South Sudan that we need to take care of our sisters and our daughters, it is always a friend who commits the crime, we need to take care of our kids,” Jenaru said.
