Teachers, community leaders urged to join forces against gender-based violence

(KONDOKORO)-Teachers, community leaders and local government officials in Kondokoro Payam, Juba County, have been urged to work together to prevent sexual and gender-based violence.

The call was made Thursday during a one-day training attended by more than 20 participants, including teachers, women leaders and local government officials.

Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Women Foundation for Humanity Executive Director Dorathy Drabuga said preventing gender-based violence is a shared responsibility that extends beyond government institutions.

“It is a collective responsibility to prevent sexual and gender-based violence against our girls, women and everybody in the community,” Drabuga said, adding that everyone has a role to play in protecting vulnerable people.

She urged women leaders to discourage child and forced marriages, saying the practices expose girls to abuse and deny them access to education.

Drabuga also called on local authorities to act promptly on reported cases of gender-based violence rather than allowing them to be resolved through harmful cultural practices.

“When cases are reported to you, don’t sit on them. Many of our cultural norms are harmful to women, and we must work together to change that,” she said.

Teachers attending the training were reminded to uphold professional ethics by safeguarding students from sexual exploitation and abuse.

“In some schools, there are teachers who have relationships with students. This is very wrong and should never be encouraged,” Drabuga said. “Let us look at these girls as our daughters and sisters, not as potential wives.”

Participants also discussed the growing problem of drug abuse among young people, which organizers said contributes to violence and insecurity in the community.

“As fathers, let us talk to our sons. As mothers, let us also talk to our sons,” Drabuga said. “Smoking bangi (Marijuana) destroys their health and contributes to many of the incidents happening in this community.”

The training was conducted under the RESPECT – Stop Sexual Gender-Based Violence project, funded by the German government, co-funded by the European Union and implemented by GIZ in partnership with the Women Foundation for Humanity.

According to the organisation, the six-month project has already trained community members on gender-based violence prevention, women’s rights and adolescent girls’ empowerment. It also plans to establish community engagement groups to strengthen local efforts to prevent violence against women and girls.