IPI Interviews South Sudan's MP, Hon. Betty Ogwaro, on the difficult situation for women in her country
Source:
The International Peace Institute (IPI) has interviewed Hon. Dr betty Achan Ogwaro, parliamentarian in the government of South Sudan. The interview discusses the difficult situation for women in the violent conflict affecting this African country. The civil war is now entering its third year, while the country tries to implement a peace agreement still unsuccessful.
Cattle raiding is a major source of conflict in the South Sudan states you work in, and you’re teaching women and girls to help stop it. How can women and girls have an impact on cattle raiding?
Cattle raiding in Eastern Equatoria, particularly among the cattle-keeping communities, has been practiced for ages. But now it has shifted dimensions; in the past, people would raid a few cattle and just go back to their wells so that they can add to their dowry. They didn’t have weapons, so people would go at night, open the corral, and walk away with some cattle. But now there’s a lot of small arms, and people seeing that cattle mean money, prestige, etc. It has become lethal, because when they go raiding, they kill. And then the community they’ve raided retaliates—they come back to raid and kill.
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Click here to access the full interview.
The International Peace Institute (IPI) has interviewed Hon. Dr betty Achan Ogwaro, parliamentarian in the government of South Sudan. The interview discusses the difficult situation for women in the violent conflict affecting this African country. The civil war is now entering its third year, while the country tries to implement a peace agreement still unsuccessful.
Cattle raiding is a major source of conflict in the South Sudan states you work in, and you’re teaching women and girls to help stop it. How can women and girls have an impact on cattle raiding?
Cattle raiding in Eastern Equatoria, particularly among the cattle-keeping communities, has been practiced for ages. But now it has shifted dimensions; in the past, people would raid a few cattle and just go back to their wells so that they can add to their dowry. They didn’t have weapons, so people would go at night, open the corral, and walk away with some cattle. But now there’s a lot of small arms, and people seeing that cattle mean money, prestige, etc. It has become lethal, because when they go raiding, they kill. And then the community they’ve raided retaliates—they come back to raid and kill.
(…)
Click here to access the full interview.