The national Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare Aya Benjamin Warille has on Wednesday commissioned the first phase of the women and girls psychosocial center in Bentiu, Unity state.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Aya said: “Today we are here to inaugurate the first space for women and girls in this place, Bentiu. The promotion of the welfare and protection of women and children is part of the mandate of the Ministry of Gender, child, and social welfare. So, we are here because of our mandate.”
She urged women and girls not to shy away from reporting all violations against them at the center.
“I am encouraging women and girls to come up. This is the space for you to share your stories. It is the processing of healing. Come up and talk about your experience and you will be helped,” the minister assured.
Nyajime Jial, the Executive Director of Hope Restoration South Sudan, said that the psychosocial center will offer counseling and family planning support.
“This center is for our women and our girls to have a space where they can come and share. It is not your fault that you were raped, it is not your fault that you are beaten by your husband, it is not your fault. Come sit we dialogue,” she said. “I am very happy some of the women that were here spoke up that since they came to this center their life has changed. That is the story we love to hear.”
Mrs. Jial attributed the reduction in rape cases to the focus on girls’ and women’s rights in the state.
“It is our collective responsibility to make sure that the gender-based violence can end in Unity State. The cases currently this year and last year you can not compare, they have reduced because we have a lot of activities that are happening in the center,” she added.