International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

Today, we join in marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. In South Sudan, conflict routinely fuels rape, sexual harassment, abduction, physical harm, and other forms of violence against women and girls. The World Health Organization estimates that 45 percent of South Sudanese women between the ages of 15 and 64 experience physical violence in their lifetime.

The United States stands with all in South Sudan who work to advance gender equality and to support the rights of women and girls. This reflects the enduring foundational values that drove U.S. engagement with the people of South Sudan in the decades leading up to this country’s independence and continues to this day.

The U.S. Embassy calls on the transitional government to demonstrate its commitment to preventing gender-based violence (GBV), ensuring that perpetrators of GBV are held accountable and supporting survivors of GBV.