South Sudan Women’s Prison Visit 

In commemoration of International Women's Day, the SIHA South Sudan team organized a community outreach activity on March 17th at Juba Central Women's Prison, the national women's prison.

SIHA Network
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SIHA South Sudan staff with women inmates at the Juba Central Women’s Prison Photography: SIHA Staff

In commemoration of International Women’s Day, the SIHA South Sudan team organized a community outreach activity on March 17th at Juba Central Women’s Prison, the national women’s prison.

The goal of this activity was to show support to the inmates and to investigate allegations of human rights violations being perpetrated against them.  Initially expecting sixty attendees, the event drew an astonishing 114 participants.

During the gathering, these women courageously shared their stories of incarceration, often revealing instances of physical and sexual abuse, as well as neglect by prison officials. Notably, some women lacked access to legal aid, especially those facing minor charges. Troublingly, juveniles were housed alongside adult offenders, and individuals with mental illnesses were incarcerated instead of receiving proper mental health care.

Subsequently, there has been a noticeable reduction in the inmate population, prompting calls from the imprisoned women for a comprehensive assessment of the issues they raised within the prison’s facilities. 

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Borne of the social justice movement, the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Network is an indigenous African women’s rights network with a soul. We are convinced beyond any doubt that if African women are given the space, they will drive change in this region and beyond. Defying presumptions about African women, SIHA has been carried on the shoulders of numerous African women’s rights activists and has been sustained by their relentless commitment to their cause.