Promoting a safe, responsive sexual reproductive health rights environment for girls and women in Juba, South Sudan Project.

Duration:

1 August 2023 to 31 July 2025

Background:

South Sudan faces significant challenges in ensuring the sexual and reproductive health rights of women and girls. Ongoing conflict, weak healthcare infrastructure, and socio-cultural factors have created barriers to accessing essential Sexual, reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services.

Sexual, gender-based violence (SGBV), which includes rape, sexual assault, forced marriage, and domestic violence, directly violates the SRHR of women and girls. These violations encompass a range of aspects, such as the right to bodily integrity, safety, and the ability to make informed decisions about one’s reproductive health.

SGBV often leads to unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and complications during pregnancy and childbirth.

The trauma resulting from SGBV can have psychological and emotional consequences, hindering a woman’s mental well-being and her ability to make informed decisions about her reproductive health.

SGBV can involve forced and early marriages, particularly among young girls. These practices infringe on a girl’s right to choose a spouse and the right to delay marriage until she is physically and mentally ready, affecting her reproductive health and rights.

Survivors of SGBV may encounter barriers when seeking healthcare and support services, which is a violation of their right to quality healthcare. Perpetrators of SGBV often deny victims access to information about their reproductive health and contraception, infringing upon their right to information.

Survivors of SGBV may experience stigmatization and discrimination, which can deter them from seeking support and care, thereby infringing on their right to be treated with dignity and respect.

Perpetrators of SGBV frequently go unpunished due to weak rule of law and inadequate mechanisms for accountability. The failure to hold perpetrators accountable violates the right to justice and redress for survivors.

The M&E process involves several essential components. First, M&E strategies are developed, and monitoring tools are refined to ensure effective data collection and analysis.

Project staff are then trained in these M&E strategies and tools to facilitate their implementation. Regular six-monthly M&E analyses are conducted to assess progress in comparison to the intended project outcomes.

Quarterly partner check-ins are held to monitor progress, gather insights, and address any project-related challenges.

Finally, the lessons learned throughout the project are documented and shared with project partners to inform decision-making and improve future initiatives.

Sustainability:

To ensure the sustainability of the project activities focused on women’s sexual and reproductive health rights in Juba, South Sudan, several key strategies are be employed. These include promoting local ownership and capacity building, engaging in policy advocacy to institutionalize project initiatives, fostering partnerships, documenting best practices, maintaining community engagement, and developing a clear long-term plan.

Partnerships:

Partnerships with a diverse range of stakeholders are crucial for the successful execution of initiatives aimed at advancing women’s sexual and reproductive health rights in Juba, South Sudan. These partnerships involve government agencies, women’s rights organizations, legal experts, research institutions, healthcare providers, local community organizations, leaders, media outlets, human rights activists, and legal watchdogs.

Collaboration with these stakeholders will enable the collection and validation of essential data, dissemination of critical information, creation of advocacy platforms, and monitoring and documentation of rights violations, thereby promoting gender equality and the protection of women’s rights in the region.