Female Graduates Challenged to Take Political Stage in Juba

(JUBA) – More than fifteen young South Sudanese women have graduated from a five month political leadership training programme aimed at strengthening their participation in politics and civic life.

The initiative known as The Rising Civil Voices Initiative concluded on 7 October 2025 under the patronage of the Senior Presidential Envoy on Special Programmes, Hon. Adut Salva Kiir.

Hon. Adut praised the graduates for their discipline and commitment, describing their involvement as an essential step towards building a more inclusive and democratic society. She said she hopes to see the programme grow to reach many more young women across the country.

In her address, Hon. Adut encouraged the graduates to remain confident, united, and determined as they pursue leadership roles. She noted that women must take the lead in shaping their personal and professional development, adding that she looks forward to returning for the third training cohort next year, depending on her continued tenure.

Hon. Yar Teler, Deputy Chairperson of the Parliamentary Women’s Caucus, shared her personal experience in politics, advising the graduates to prepare for challenges that women often face in public life.

She said women leaders are frequently targeted with personal criticism about their families or marital status. She also urged them to become financially independent before entering politics, noting that political work demands substantial personal resources and rarely brings immediate returns.

Alimure Awuda, Programme Manager at Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, said the course provided participants with essential strategic and leadership skills within the context of South Sudan’s political environment.

He announced that graduates had submitted several project proposals, from which the best will be selected to receive a grant of €10,000 (about €10,000 ≈ $10,800 ≈ 76,680,000 SSP) for implementation.

The training, supported by the European Union, was organised by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung in collaboration with the Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation (CEPO) and the Centre for Inclusive Governance, Peace, and Justice (CIGPJ).

According to the organisers, the programme seeks to promote inclusive governance by building the confidence and capacity of young women to take part in national decision making.