Young women are always subjected to double marginalization, as a woman and young people. In many societies and families in South Sudan, the female gender is always the last to eat, speak and to receive education. A woman is always voiceless and can only speak when told to. With that little or no education and training, women and girls are downgraded to caretaking, fetching water, childbirth, cooking and collecting firewood, this is unpaid labor which is regarded as less important in the society and doesn’t pay a woman. This double marginalization of young women is seen when young people are seen as the future of the nation and so young educated women see it as an obligation and burden to them so they endeavor to participate in the nation building through little efforts at their capacity.

Young women have seen and experienced many good outcomes and the benefits of young people from other countries and this builds in them the anxiety and commitment to as well work in building their nation by being part of the peace process.

Many young women have joined politics through registering with different political parties and participated in political programs while others have embarked on forming civil Society organizations initiatives to help impact the communities and this is a good platform to engage the young women in the peace process by using those in the systems already in order to mobilize more in order to achieve sustainable peace.

Young women have got a good language of convincing and can easily influence the masses through their powerful messages on their social media platforms and activities that can engage the youth and they can extend such to the grassroots so women need to be included in the peace and leadership opportunities.

6. My recommendations for increasing the participation and influence of young women in peace and leadership opportunities.

• Encourage and support young women leaders aspirant financially and practically
• Encourage young women to form forums, Associations and organizations that focus in gender and peace building.
• Help recommend and fund young women initiatives, organizations and their other activities involving peace building.
• Provide economic empowerment to young women through microbusiness loans and startups.
• Make civic education and trainings on peace building available to young women.
• Make policies that encourage young women join political parties without hindrance.
• Educate, encourage and make books and materials about the peace agreement i.e. (R.ARCSS, NAP) available for the young women.
• Simplify the (R.ARCSS) in an easy and understandable language for young women to easily read and understand.
• Help extend all these civic education and peace building trainings to the 10 States and the Administrative Areas through young women led organizations and initiatives.
• Recommend and help connect young women to international leadership programs like scholarships, trainings and conferences done in other countries.
• Encourage and include young women in national and local occasions done in the country.

Thank you
Akuot Sarah Dut
Happy International Women’s Day.