South Sudan: United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) inspires displaced women to achieve economic empowerment and independence in Wau
This was the inspiring message from United Nations Police Officer, Easther Adeke, at an event to engage, empower and elevate the quality of life experienced by women living in the Naivasha camp for displaced families in Wau, Western Bahr El Ghazal.
'Women here are well-organized and have solid foundations,' she says. 'But empowerment and true peace comes with self-care, emotionally, physically, socially and spiritually.'
Around 70 women and 10 men attended the event, hosted by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the South Sudan National Police Service to strengthen relationships between the displaced community and local officers and promote community-led peacebuilding.
Another priority was addressing the significant challenges faced by women, endeavoring to build livelihoods and businesses, in rapidly deteriorating economic and humanitarian conditions.
"Many women in our camp are single mothers who have to support their entire household and need to increase their incomes to survive in these difficult times,' said Christina Eliano Kamilo, deputy chairperson of the Naivasha camp. 'We need more assistance to achieve economic independence.'
In a community where women suffer most from persistent conflict and often shoulder sole responsibility for supporting their families, economic empowerment is essential. It is particularly important in combatting harmful practices, like domestic violence and early or forced marriage, which limits the access of girls to education and, ultimately, employment opportunities.
'When women have better incomes, they can ensure their daughters stay in school,' says community member, Elizabeth Akech. 'Childcare should be a shared responsibility so that we can exercise our rights and secure our independence.'
The event also prioritized efforts to build trust and confidence in the local police service to effectively prevent and respond to crime.
'This partnership will foster trust and encourage women to report incidents of violence and abuse,' says Patrick Andrea, Naivasha camp chairperson.
Participants left with a powerful message: "You can't pour from an empty cup. Fill your cup daily with love, rest, and hope to give more to your families and communities."
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
6 hours ago
- Zawya
The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) reaffirms African Union (AU) support for Somali-led peace process
The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia and Head of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), Ambassador El Hadji Ibrahima Diene, made an inaugural visit to South West State's Baidoa city, reaffirming the Mission's commitment to enhancing peace, security and stabilization efforts in Somalia. Ambassador Diene praised the ongoing joint military operations by AUSSOM and Somali Security Forces (SSF) in the Shabelle region and other parts of Somalia. 'We are supporting our Somali brothers and sisters. Our mandate is to support a Somali-led peace process. The ongoing operations are a priority defined by the federal government of Somalia, and we are collaborating closely with them to defeat Al-Shabaab,' Ambassador Diene said on Tuesday. He highlighted the forces' liberation of strategic Barire town and Sabid-Anole villages as significant milestones in Somalia's efforts to defeat Al-Shabaab, reiterating AUSSOM's support for sustained operations against the militant group. At Sector 3 headquarters, Ambassador Diene commended Ethiopian troops serving under AUSSOM for maintaining the region's peace and security, with support from the Ghanaian Formed Police Unit (FPU) Contingent. 'I found a well-prepared, well-structured sector. A lot has been accomplished by our troops, and there is still much to be done. They have shared their challenges, and we will explore the best ways to support them,' he added. Ambassador Diene also praised the strong collaboration among key regional and international partners, including AUSSOM, the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), the Federal Government of Somalia, and South West State administration. The SRCC acknowledged the responsibilities placed on the African Union in Somalia's stabilization process, recognizing the progress made and existing funding challenges. Sector 3 Commander Brigadier General Teklu Hurisa Janka expressed satisfaction with the briefing provided to the SRCC on the sector's status and operations of the Ethiopian Contingent. 'We were pleased to welcome the SRCC and his delegation to Sector 3 headquarters,' said Brig. Gen. Janka. 'We provided a comprehensive update on the current security situation, ongoing military operations against Al-Shabaab, and the vital work being carried out by Ethiopian troops to support peace and stability in Somalia. The SRCC expressed appreciation for our efforts, and we equally valued his presence and engagement.' As part of his visit, the SRCC paid a courtesy call to the South West State administration and met with the Federal Member State's Parliament Speaker, Ali Said Fiqi, at the Presidential Villa. They discussed the current security landscape and ongoing support of the African Union in Somalia's peacebuilding and stabilization efforts. Ambassador Diene also met with medical personnel at the AUSSOM Level 2 hospital, where he was briefed about the services provided to troops and civilians. The SRCC was accompanied by senior officials, including AUSSOM Military Chief of Staff Brigadier General Kindu Gezu, and AUSSOM Military Force Engineer Colonel Sulieman Ibrahim. This marked Ambassador Diene's fourth visit to the AUSSOM Sectors, having previously toured Sectors One, Two and Four. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).
Zawya
a day ago
- Zawya
South Sudan: United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) inspires displaced women to achieve economic empowerment and independence in Wau
'By prioritizing self-care, women become strong leaders, better listeners and more patient negotiators. Our families and communities draw courage in pursuing peace from our example.' This was the inspiring message from United Nations Police Officer, Easther Adeke, at an event to engage, empower and elevate the quality of life experienced by women living in the Naivasha camp for displaced families in Wau, Western Bahr El Ghazal. 'Women here are well-organized and have solid foundations,' she says. 'But empowerment and true peace comes with self-care, emotionally, physically, socially and spiritually.' Around 70 women and 10 men attended the event, hosted by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the South Sudan National Police Service to strengthen relationships between the displaced community and local officers and promote community-led peacebuilding. Another priority was addressing the significant challenges faced by women, endeavoring to build livelihoods and businesses, in rapidly deteriorating economic and humanitarian conditions. "Many women in our camp are single mothers who have to support their entire household and need to increase their incomes to survive in these difficult times,' said Christina Eliano Kamilo, deputy chairperson of the Naivasha camp. 'We need more assistance to achieve economic independence.' In a community where women suffer most from persistent conflict and often shoulder sole responsibility for supporting their families, economic empowerment is essential. It is particularly important in combatting harmful practices, like domestic violence and early or forced marriage, which limits the access of girls to education and, ultimately, employment opportunities. 'When women have better incomes, they can ensure their daughters stay in school,' says community member, Elizabeth Akech. 'Childcare should be a shared responsibility so that we can exercise our rights and secure our independence.' The event also prioritized efforts to build trust and confidence in the local police service to effectively prevent and respond to crime. 'This partnership will foster trust and encourage women to report incidents of violence and abuse,' says Patrick Andrea, Naivasha camp chairperson. Participants left with a powerful message: "You can't pour from an empty cup. Fill your cup daily with love, rest, and hope to give more to your families and communities." Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
The National
2 days ago
- The National
Trump urges Putin and Zelenskyy to be 'flexible' over peace meeting
US President Donald Trump has urged the leaders of Ukraine and Russia to show 'flexibility' in organising a bilateral meeting to get a peace deal over the line. The American leader also said the US might provide air power as part of a security guarantee for Ukraine − a significant step forward for Kyiv agreeing to a deal. But first, President Trump insisted, there must be a meeting between Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to kick-start the peace process, amid concerns that the Russian leader will not agree to a bilateral meeting. 'I hope President Putin is going to be good, and if he's not, it's going to be a rough situation,' Mr Trump told Fox News on Tuesday. 'I hope that President Zelenskyy will do what he has to do. He has to show some flexibility also.' In recent days there has been a whirlwind round of diplomacy instigated by Mr Trump, from a summit with Mr Putin in Alaska on Friday followed by talks with Mr Zelenskyy and European leaders in the White House on Monday. Key now is to organise a face-to-face between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders, followed by a trilateral to include Mr Trump. But Russia experts have suggested that Mr Putin is highly unlikely to accept a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart. Mr Putin will 'absolutely rule out' a meeting, said Nigel Gould-Davies, a Russia expert at the London-headquartered International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank. 'He has made very clear that Zelenskyy is no longer a legitimate president of Ukraine,' he said, adding that it was a 'very smart move by Zelenskyy to get Trump's acceptance' of the bilateral meeting idea. 'Because ultimately, I think his hope will be that when, as I expect, Putin rejects that proposal for such a trilateral meeting, it will once again impress on Trump that it is Putin and no one else who is the obstacle to peace,' said Mr Gould-Davies. During a phone call with Mr Putin on Monday, Mr Trump urged him to begin making plans for a bilateral summit with Mr Zelensky, that would mark the first time the two leaders have met since Russia's 2022 invasion. 'I wouldn't say they are ever going to be best friends … they're the ones that have to call the shots,' he said. Mr Trump agreed that if the bilateral went well he would look to follow it up with a trilateral summit. 'We're going to find out about President Putin in the next couple of weeks − that I can tell you − and we're going to see where it all goes. It's possible that he doesn't want to make a deal,' added the US President. The German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told reporters in Washington on Monday that the bilateral could happen within two weeks while French President Emmanuel Macron signalled that the trilateral summit could be within three weeks. Key to any deal will be security guarantees for Ukraine to ensure that Russia does not invade again, as it did so in 2014 and 2022. Importantly Mr Trump indicated on Tuesday that there would be some form of security assurances, potentially in the form of air support from the US. 'We're willing to help them with things, especially, probably you could talk about by air, because there's nobody that has the kind of stuff we have,' he said. But Michael Carpenter, who was a special assistant to former president Joe Biden, said the only real security guarantee was Nato membership for Ukraine 'and obviously, that's anathema to Putin'. A package of security guarantees is being examined that could build on the work of the so-called 'coalition of the willing', a European group led by the UK and France, potentially including a multinational force. Mr Carpenter, a senior fellow at IISS, added that if the US agreed 'to seize those €300 billion ($350 billion) of frozen Russian assets that would be a game changer, that would provide a real exogenous shock to the Russian economy'. Mr Trump also made clear that Mr Zelenskyy would have to forfeit his ambitions of retaking Crimea, which Russia illegally seized in 2014. 'Both of those things are impossible,' the US President said, referring to the Crimean Peninsula and Nato membership for Ukraine.
