The National Transformational Leadership Institute (NTLI) at the University of Juba in partnership with the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare (MGCSW) with financial support from Japanese International Cooperation Agency (Jica) successfully conducted a three-day tailor-made training for gender focal points on GBV at work places. The training took place at Juba Regency Hotel in Juba from 11th to13th April, 2023. It brought together 30 Gender Focal Persons (22 females: 8 males) from different government ministries and commissions with the following positions: Director Generals, Directors, Assistant Directors, Senior Inspectors, Inspectors, Geologist, Gender mainstreaming officer and a male champion.
The overall objective of the training was to strengthen capacities of gender focal points to become more skillful, knowledgeable, committed and courageous for effective and meaningful handling, reporting and monitoring of GBV cases at workplaces. Different participatory training methods and adult learning techniques were employed including; Mini lectures, brainstorming, plenary presentations, interactive lectures, experience sharing, demonstration, case studies and stories.
The training provided an opportunity to learn and discuss more about GBV in work places and identify what all were facing at their places of work. Also, they came up with action points on how gender focal points will prevent and respond to GBV cases at work. As the training came to an end, there was a call for training of gender focal persons on governance, economics, health, HIV and SGBV for other staff, gender budgeting and gender mainstreaming in policies and programme to enable them understand their supportive roles in the respective sectors.
Participants confirmed that GBV is prevalent in their work places, but is rarely reported because of ignorance of the law and information on where to report. Some participants wondered how and where cases would be reported when the perpetrators could be senior managers. Other issues emerged presence of sexual favour, forced prostitution locally known as daarah, trafficking of native young girls from the states for marriage in Juba, overlooking GBV cases reported to the Employees Justice Chamber as in most cases it is only technical issues that are been examined rather social aspects of it that impact work. As a consequence, some potential female applicants have been reluctant to apply for public institutions’ jobs; others resigned because of complexity of reporting SGBV cases and some opted to keep silent irrespective of the circumstance. Participants were able to identify different manifestations of GBV at work places including; hostile working environments, sexual exploitation, physical violence, denial of promotions, malicious rumours, sexist comments, among others.
Participants recommended formation of Gender Units in all ministries, empowerment of relevant commissions to handle GBV issues, link survivors to Organizations advocating for prevention of GBV for legal support; conduct mobile and radio talk shows that can be setup wherever one goes; reach out to decision makers e.g Undersecretaries, directors of Ministries in an effort to ensure that there is early warning and response in their institutions and punishment to all those who would be found guilt. The MGCSW was requested to lead in developing a specific referral mechanism that can be used at work places.