The prolonged civil war in the Southern Sudan by then devastated the economic base of the people leading to harsh economic conditions. This not only increased the suffering of the people but led them to poverty in its various forms. The dependency syndrome due to lack of self-reliance initiative more especially among women, drop out school girls resulting from high rate of illiteracy & poor productive skills can’t be forgotten of. South Sudan independence from Sudan in 2011 has opened new chapters in peoples’ lives to create channels for rejuvenating their economic base. However, putting our efforts on women and girls, especially those living in poverty, is critical if we are ever going to have a chance at living in a world in which no one is limited by their circumstances.
Majority of rural women in South Sudan depend on natural resources and agriculture for their livelihood. This constitutes of a quarter of the total household needs. In developing countries, rural women represent approximately 43 percent of the agricultural labor force, and produce, process and prepare much of the food available, thereby giving them primary responsibility for food security bearing in mind that these extreme poor women live in rural areas.
In this case, ensuring rural women’s access to productive agricultural resources empowers women and contributes to decreasing not only hunger but also poverty. An increase in female labor force participation or a reduction in the gap between women and men’s labor force participation results in faster economic growth. These initiatives includes training women groups on basic income generating skills in order to afford greater access to the millennium development goals of poverty eradication/alleviation. From the other hand, it promotes self-reliance and independence within the massive dependent communities.
It is evidenced that increasing the share of household income controlled by women, either through their own earnings or cash transfers, changes spending in ways that benefit children. Increasing women and girls’ education contributes to higher economic growth because they will have their own work leading to economic independence.
Therefore, empowering women to participate fully in economic life across all sectors is essential to build stronger economies, achieve internationally agreed goals for sustainable development and improve the quality of life for all in the community.