International women day celebrated in Lakes State’s Rumbek

By Manyang Mayom

Mar 8, 2006 (RUMBEK) — Most counties in the Bhar-El-Gazal region commemorated the International Women international day with a special focus on the progress made in the struggle for equal rights for women and for women’s full participation in the development process in South Sudan.

In Rumbek, the government together with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), UN Agencies and other institutions took this opportunity to press for the observance of women’s rights in Sudanese liberates areas of SPLM/A.

The day also constituted an opportunity to take stock of the status of women, identify gaps and celebrate achievements made in the struggle for women’s equality and justice in South Sudan.

Inadequate provision of health care services in the regions has resulted in many women losing their lives in South Sudan during the war zone bomb rate attack in Bhar-El-Gazal. Preventable diseases and unequal access to health care still affect mainly women and girls in country of Sudan, especially those in the rural areas.

HIV infection among women is on the increase, and countries still lack programmes targeted at HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment among women and girls. The disease is also affecting children and creating a new problem in the region, which of AIDS orphans. This makes land a very important resource for the economic empowerment and socio-cultural development of women.

Southern Sudan also celebrated the day with renewed calls for the reduction of poverty, which has been found as a major blockade to women’s advancement among nations. Celebrations included poetry reading and drama presentation by the Bhar-El-Gazal women development centre (BWDC) Groups.

(ST)