Conference on the role of South Sudanese women in future peace efforts in Sudan

On Friday 14 January at 9.00 International Development Minister Hilde F. Johnson will open the conference “South Sudanese Women and the Peace Process” at the Voksenåsen culture and conference hotel in Oslo.

The final signing of the peace agreement for Sudan took place on 9 January. Now the vital process of reconstruction can start after 21 years of civil war. Prior to the upcoming donor country conference in Oslo the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in co-operation with the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), is holding a two-day conference that will focus on how women in Sudan can be included in the further peace and development efforts in the country.

“The peace agreement marks the start of a new era in Sudan. It must also be the start of a new era for the women of Sudan. At this meeting with Sudanese women we hope to explore how we can ensure that women’s interests and rights are safeguarded in the further efforts to secure peace and promote development in Sudan,” said Ms Johnson.

A number of Sudanese women from various organisations and regions of Sudan will attend the conference, including Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior, the wife of John Garang, the leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM). Representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Norwegian Agency for Development Co-operation (NORAD), the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and relevant Norwegian NGOs will also participate.

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