South Sudan hails Uganda on gender equity

Kamya (L), Commissioner Education, Training and information interacts with Nalule (R), EOC chairperson as Chol Aruai, (C), National Bureau of Statistics,(NBS) looks on. (Photos by Juliet Kasirye)

The Government of South Sudan has commended Uganda for promoting gender equity in its policies, which they say has eliminated discrimination and inequalities in the country. 

According to South Sudan, Uganda has achieved milestones in key sustainable development goals (SDGs), which call on countries to leave no one behind in terms of development. 

“This SDG of no one should be left behind; it is not operationalized anywhere, it remains on paper. If you go to those countries and ask how this concept is being applied, it is not. 

"You (Uganda) are applying that concept into reality because we have heard about it and have seen it being implemented here,” Isaiah Chol Aruai, the chairperson of South Sudanese National Bureau statistics, said. 

Isaiah Chol Aruai and James Boi Reech National Bureau of Statistics addressing EOC staff as James Boi Reech, Gender focal person in the ministry of Humanitarian Affairs look on during a meeting at Equal Opportunities Commission. (Photo by Juliet Kasirye)

Chol, who was in the company of other senior officials from the South Sudanese National Bureau of Statistics, made the remarks yesterday, during a meeting with the Uganda Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) in Kampala. 

The group, which is currently on an official visit, is in the country, to benchmark Uganda’s success story on gender equality. 

In their meeting with the EOC, the South Sudanese officials pointed out the gender and equity certificates issued to Government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) as well as local governments for gender-responsive budgets. 

The officials said the concept has not been practiced by any other country across the globe, apart from Uganda. 

“Giving MDAS certificates of gender on budgeting is a unique approach worldwide. There is no such thing even in the western world. They have never developed such an initiative to ensure gender equity in budgeting,” Ochol said. 

The Government in 2015, enacted the Public Finance and Management Act, whereby the equal opportunities commission, is obligated to asses all Ministerial Policy statements, and Budget Framework Papers for gender and equity inclusiveness in the national budgeting processes before recommending a particular MDA or local government to the responsible minister for the issuance of a gender and equity certificate. 

Safia Nalule

According to Safia Nalule, the chairperson of EOC, gender equity planning and budgeting is the way to go if African countries want to realize the 2030 agenda promise of sustainable development, leaving no one behind. 

Gender and equity planning and budgeting is an approach to allocating and utilizing a country's resources, taking into consideration the different needs, interests, and constraints of the various categories of people without any discrimination and addressing any imbalances that exist. 

Speaking at the same meeting, Dunstan Mubangizi, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting specialist for UN Women Juba, South Sudan, said Uganda, through EOC, had achieved a lot in fostering gender equality. 

“We don’t want to leave any women or girls behind; we want them to be counted on development programs." "We have heard a lot being talked about EOC and there is much relevancy to this commission for the development of this country, especially in terms of fostering gender equality,” Mubangizi said. 

In response, however, Nalule asked the UN Women to consider incorporating the issue of gender and equity into its programs for increased gender empowerment. 

The EOC was established by the EOC Act, 2007 in fulfillment of Article 32 (3) of the 1995 Constitution of Uganda as amended to give effect to the state’s constitutional mandate to eliminate discrimination and inequalities against any individual or group of persons on the ground of sex, age, race, color, ethnic origin, tribe, birth, creed, or religion, health status, social or economic standing, political opinion, or disability. 

Praising Uganda for establishing, an equal opportunities commission, South Sudan said, implored all East African Community (EAC) member states to borrow a leaf. 

“We envy Uganda because the way you have handled this particular issue is so impressive and I believe you are lucky. So the credit goes to first the President who has accepted this initiative,” Chol said. 

He said some countries are hesitant when it comes to promoting equality in society, something he said has affected development. 

 Chol said: “In South Sudan, there is a requirement in public service, when you are being employed, they ask you to do medical examinations to be medically fit, what does that imply, it means if you are disabled, you won’t be employed, yet in the constitution, we say everybody has an equal opportunity”.