Spring Journal of Artificial Intelligence and Current Issues

Towards a Women’s Common Agenda in South Sudan: Strengthening Women’s Participation in Peacebuilding, Political Processes and Constitution-Making

Executive Summary

South Sudan’s peace and political transition processes have highlighted the essential role of women in building sustainable peace, yet women remain under-represented in formal decision-making structures. Despite their contributions to grassroots peacebuilding and conflict prevention, women continue to face structural barriers, limited access to political spaces, gender-based violence, and social norms that restrict their participation. This policy paper proposes a Women’s Common Agenda as a collective platform to strengthen women’s voices in peace processes, constitutional development, governance, and elections. The agenda seeks to support women across political, social, and community levels to articulate shared priorities and influence national policies. The paper highlights achievements, including women’s increased representation under the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), while identifying persistent challenges such as weak implementation of gender quotas, limited accountability mechanisms, and exclusion from formal political processes. Strengthening women’s collective action, establishing enforceable gender equality mechanisms, and ensuring meaningful participation in constitution-making and governance processes are essential for sustainable peace and inclusive development in South Sudan.

Keywords: Women, Peace and Security (WPS), Women’s Political Participation, Peacebuilding, Gender Equality, South Sudan