Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation
International aid organisation CARE International has welcomed the decision by South Sudan's parliament to ratify the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

The Convention, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1979, defines what constitutes discrimination against women, and commits UN member states to setting up an agenda for action to end such discrimination. The Convention was formally ratified by South Sudan's National Legislative Assembly last week.

CARE International's Country Director in South Sudan, Aimee Ansari, said this was an important milestone for the young nation of South Sudan.

"The government of South Sudan is making a strong statement in ratifying this Convention – that the people of this country do not want women to be discriminated against.

"At CARE, three South Sudanese women have been promoted in the past two months to senior roles in the organization; we hope that the same is happening across the country."

Ms Ansari said that she hoped the ratification of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women would mark a turning point in the rights and opportunities of South Sudan's women.

"While we welcome South Sudan's ratification of this important UN Convention, stopping the violence against women all over the country's the most urgent need. Women are always more vulnerable during conflicts; in this conflict women have been targeted; they are being raped and killed, sometimes in front of their families.

"If the government is serious about ending all forms of discrimination against women, then one of the first things they should do is to end the conflict that has destroyed the lives of tens of thousands of women, children and families across the country."

CARE's recent report, The Girl Has No Rights: Gender-based violence in South Sudan highlighted many of the deliberate acts of discrimination, violence and abuse that have been committed against women in South Sudan since the outbreak of violence in December 2013. It reveals that more women and girls are engaging in sex in exchange for food or water for their families; parents are marrying their daughters early for a bride price and to reduce the number of mouths to feed; and rape and sexual assault have become a weapon of war.

CARE's is providing food, water and health support to women and girls affected by the crisis in South Sudan, targeting some of the worst-affected in three of South Sudan's hardest-hit states, Unity, Upper Nile and Jonglei. CARE is identifying women and girls in need of healthcare and other services, and ensuring that they can access them in as safe and dignified a manner as possible.

CARE is also conducting anti-gender-based violence campaigns throughout the country, meeting with groups of people – men, women and youths – in churches, schools and water distribution points to facilitate knowledge sharing and open dialogue about gender-based violence, to reduce the silence on this issue.

• Sudan