A delegation from Abyei yesterday demanded that women of Abyei should also benefit from the 25% women representation in the South Sudan Government despite that Abyei remains a contested region between the Sudan and South Sudan.
The Abyei representatives headed by the Deputy Vice Chairperson of Women League Abiba Mangok told the Minister of Gender Child and Social Welfare that Abyei women have remained marginalized and have no specific place to take their grievances because the scenario of being in between the two governments is affecting them.
"We know our problems have not yet been solved but there is no way we can be left out by South Sudan in term of developmental issues and if there are proposals on women in South Sudan, the Abyei women should not be neglected until their future is decided," Chai Ngor Deng a woman also from Abyei said. She asserted that many men have died during fighting in Abyei and all the responsibilities were left with women.
The women representatives said that Abyei was supposed to be the 11th States of South Sudan but due to the political protests between the two States the future of Abyei remains unequal and urges South Sudan to care about them.
The delegation urged the Government to extend agricultural tools; education and health facilities and women awareness to Abyei area and hope that their issue would be solved to allow them join either South Sudan or Sudan.
They said the Flag in the Middle of South Sudan hopeful would fly in their land one day. Meanwhile, the Minister of Gender Child and Social Welfare, Agnes Lasuba told the delegation that Abyei women should establish their office in the town such that if there are women projects coming to South Sudan they can be extended to them through Warrap State because Abyei has not yet been put among the State of South Sudan.
She said the government would look for a vehicle that would be given to the women to assist them in transportation to hospital and directed the delegation to go to the Ministry of Agriculture, Health and Education and report issues concerning the three issues to them.