Let’s rope in traditional leaders in law implementation
On Friday, the Azande Kingdom resolved to take part in the implementation of South Sudan strategic national action plan.
South Sudan National Action Plan which will run until 2026 and it aims to provide protection for women and girls— among them those with disabilities—against any form of sexual and gender-based violence and restore the respect for human rights, human dignity and equality in South Sudan.
It also intends to increase women’s participation in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, the maintenance of peace and security, and guarantee their participation in post-conflict peace building and state-building processes.
The decision by the Azande Kingdom to promote the implementation of the national action plan at the community level is a step in the right direction.
There are several laws that talk about women’s emancipation and those that prohibit gender-based violence. However, that has not been fully implemented due to the lack of participation of the traditional leaders.
So, it is very important to involve the traditional leaders such as the chiefs and Kings in the enforcement of those laws because they deal directly with the local people.
We all know the constitution is the supreme law of the country. But in most communities like in South Sudan, people tend to follow customary law more than the constitution and the international protocols.
So, once the traditional leaders are involved in the implementation of such laws, it makes it easy for people to adhere to them.
The Ministry of Gender and Child and Social Welfare through its partners needs to up the responsibility by disseminating the National Action Plan, Child Act, and the Maputo Protocol by engaging the traditional leaders in its implementers.
It is only through the traditional leaders that the country would be able to eradicate forced and early marriage, gender-based violence and other vices in the communities.
