Management Response

Recommendation:

a). Provide adequate financial and technical support for consolidating the gender mainstreaming in the security sector reform processes of South Sudan (High). b). Provide a tailored and customized support program for females in security forces, PwDs, survivors of violence and the vulnerable in the community (Urgent). c). Design and implement strategic (long-term, focused and with adequate resources) projects to realize GM in SSR in South Sudan (High). d). Enhance follow up and tracking results and documenting changes of their interventions at grassroots levels (High).

Management Response:

Accepted

Key Actions Responsible Deadline Status Comments The CO will continue to mobilise resources to mainstream gender in the security sector and support women participation in the security sector- clear results frameworks to be developed to track implementations of interventions related to SSR. Inclusion of gender mainistreaming in SSR indicators for tracking during the AWP and SN development stages. This allows for clear monitoring of progress and creates a basis for measures gaps for which the CO can mobilise funding for. M&E and Reporting Specialist 2024/06 Completed The country office (CO) signed an agreement with the Peacebuilding Fund for the "Women in South Sudan’s Security Sector: A Path to Inclusive and Transformative Leadership” project, marking the second phase of the “Gender Mainstreaming in Security Sector Reform (SSR) in South Sudan” project. This phase will be from 29 July 2024 to 24 July 2027, with a budget of US$ 1 million. SSR indicators are included in the Strategic Note (SN) 2023-2025. The CO also secured direct funding from the Government of Norway to support South Sudan's review and promotion of Beijing+30, the global bill for women's rights, related to SSR gender mainstreaming.

Recommendation:

a). institutionalize collaboration among implementing partners, women groups/organizations and SSIs and relevant government ministries to lobby to promote the inclusion of women and PwDs in the leadership and decision-making positions of the SSIs after the SSR (Urgent). b). support state and non-state actors work to end SGBV, in all its forms and at all levels, offline and online (Medium). c). institute fund to keep girls in school and work to create a safer environment for girls by building the capacity of schools (High). d). build institutional and system level capacity of SSIs to respond to GBV and continuously mainstream gender in SSR in SS (urgent).

Management Response:

Partially accepted

Key Actions Responsible Deadline Status Comments Continued collaborations with key stakeholders (including Women organizations, government ministries) to ensure the inclusion on women in leadership and decision making. Identify a cohort of women for training in leadership and decision making. Program specialist-WPS 2023/12 Completed The South Sudan Security Sector Women's Network, a platform established for advocacy and reform, connected female leaders and officers across all six organized forces, fostering solidarity and purpose. Through strategic capacity-building workshops, the network members gained an understanding of human rights laws, both national and international, and applied their knowledge to campaigns and dialogues. The network advocated for ending Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in Security Sector Institutions (SSIs) to senior police force members, who pledged support, leading to a network member attending a capacity-building workshop on SGBV in Mombasa. Despite the lack of external funding, the network continues to advocate for more inclusion of women in SSIs. During a Community Peace Mission on December 6th, 2023, the network advocated for the inclusion of women in leadership positions within both SSIs and Parliament. The network's executive has also held radio sessions encouraging women to join SSIs. These activities aim to raise awareness about Security Sector Reform (SSR) and its potential to protect the rights of vulnerable groups. Furthermore, the network supports efforts to make SSIs more inclusive environments for women and girls by advocating for gender-friendly policies.

Recommendation:	Assess exhaustive challenges (risks) and include mitigation measures to be taken by IPs in their future projects of gender mainstreaming in SSRs of SSIs
Management Response:	Accepted

Key Actions Responsible Deadline Status Comments The country office will assess challenges and risks while developing a new gender mainstreaming in SSR project and include mitigation measures in the project design. Project Manager 2024/01 Completed In developing the "Women in South Sudan’s Security Sector: A Path to Inclusive and Transformative Leadership” project, which is the second phase of the “Gender Mainstreaming in Security Sector Reform (SSR) in South Sudan” project, the country office (CO) assessed risks and formulated a mitigation strategy. The project design incorporated the necessity of addressing identified challenges and risks associated with gender mainstreaming within SSR by applying the Human Rights Due Diligence Policy (HRDDP) Nexus. Compliance gaps will be addressed through HRDDP-aligned training focused on gender-sensitive policing and conflict resolution.

Recommendation:	Design separate and long-term programs and funding to implement customized and tailored capacity building interventions to gate-keepers of social norms such as church, community and traditional leaders to implement GM and SSRs in SSIs in South Sudan.
Management Response:	partially accepted

Key Actions Responsible Deadline Status Comments The country office will design a long-term project which includes capacity buidling for gate keepers of social norms to implement gender mainstreaming in SSR and SSIs Head of the Programme 2024/01 Completed The "Women in South Sudan’s Security Sector: A Path to Inclusive and Transformative Leadership” project plans to conduct a barrier assessment of gender in the security sector which will inform the country office (CO) to design the capacity building interventions to gate-keepers of social norms to implement gender mainstreaming and security sector reform.

Recommendation:	Design projects that ensure the participation of women in the drafting of SSRs, the Constitutional and laws Amendments of South Sudan.
Management Response:

Key Actions Responsible Deadline Status Comments The country office will design projects that promote women's participation in the constitutional and laws amendment. Head of programme 2024/01 Completed The Country Office (CO) has been executing a project titled "Support to a People-Driven and Gender-Responsive Permanent Constitution Making Process in South Sudan." The project's objective is to foster a gender-responsive, participatory, and inclusive constitution-making process. In November 2023, 18 women, representing 32% of the 57 members, were appointed to the leadership of the Reconstituted National Constitutional Review Commission (R-NCRC), which oversees the Constitution Making Process (CMP). Training supported by UN Women enhanced the capacity and knowledge of four out of the 18 appointed women on the CMP, including the procedure for appointment to the R-NCRC. Additionally, the CO supported the enhancement of the capacity of 65 members (40 women and 25 men) of the National Legislative Assembly, contributing to the development and adoption of the gender-responsive Constitution Making Process Act, 2022. Furthermore, in 2023, the CO commenced a project titled "Women’s Leadership and Political Participation During South Sudan’s Transitional Period," which supports the leadership, representation, and meaningful participation of women in political and peacebuilding processes.