In Juba, South Sudan, years of humanitarian crises due to conflict and growing insecurity from climate change has reduced access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Alongside a deeply patriarchal system and widespread sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), a critical barrier to SRHR is cultural taboo and stigma that prevents open discussion, leaving women and girls without essential information and services.
To address this gap, Jamnel Care Organization (JCO) carried out a critical needs assessment in the Rejaf, Lirya, and Munuki payams1, representing a population of 15,000 people. The assessment highlighted that many communities face a gap in SRHR knowledge and information. As a result, JCO implemented their AmplifyChange project, Promoting a Safe, Responsive SRHR Environment for Girls and Women in Juba, South Sudan. The project addressed systemic SRHR challenges by empowering women and girls with knowledge of their rights, creating platforms for advocacy, increasing public awareness through media, and engaging policymakers to foster a zero-tolerance stance on SGBV.
Breaking Down SRHR Stigma
JCO used an integrated approach within their project, focused on reaching communities with comprehensive SRHR information and building local resource networks:
Evidence-Based Foundation: JCO conducted a baseline survey with 100 respondents across three payams to ensure interventions were tailored to the specific South Sudanese context and to identify advocacy gaps. The project documented SRHR violations of women and girls in the community to feed into advocacy initiatives.
Legal & Community Empowerment: 213 women and girls were trained as community paralegals and SRHR experts to create a sustainable, frontline resource for SRHR knowledge and rights defense within communities. A longer-term challenge around sustainability and ongoing support for the newly trained paralegal network beyond the project timeline presents an ongoing consideration. In parallel, the project established six safe spaces across the payams, providing trusted, long-term hubs for support, learning, and collective organising beyond the life of the project.
Strategic Communications: JCO partnered with radio stations, newspapers, and social media to produce programmes and publish articles to shift public narratives and reduce stigma. Through six radio talk shows, weekly broadcast programmes, and 16 published articles, JCO reached more than 4,600 people, significantly expanding access to accurate, stigma-free SRHR information.
Systems Strengthening & Advocacy: Active collaboration with networks, state ministries (Gender and Health), and NGOs like RIWA (Rise Initiative for Women Advocacy) and BPI (Banat Power Initiative) integrated project goals into broader systems to advocate for protective policies. The initiative achieved high-level advocacy for a zero-tolerance SGBV policy at the state level, which has now progressed to parliamentary discussions. Going forward, JCO are navigating a complex policy environment to translate documented rights violations and community advocacy into concrete legal and policy changes.
Organisational Strengthening: In addition to community-focused work, JCO built its own capacity as a young entity while directly meeting the SRHR needs of vulnerable populations. The organisation strengthened its project management, financial management, and monitoring and evaluation systems through their AmplifyChange grant. Additionally, JCO built strong institutional partnerships and gained recognition from key government ministries, increasing its credibility, capacity, and influence.
Transforming norms
Caroline is an 18-year-old student from Munuki who participated in the project’s SRHR paralegal training. Her experience is one of many:
Most of us grew up in houses where parents don’t talk to their daughters… about your sexual health. It’s forbidden because of our traditional myths.
The training transformed her from a recipient of information into a community educator. Caroline’s journey from student to teacher exemplifies the project’s multiplier effect, where empowered individuals become agents of change within their own networks.
I was able to know more about myself and I’ll be able to help some other young girls… I’ll be able to teach them with the knowledge I got.
Caroline
The project ignited change across the community, from fathers rethinking tradition to leaders ensuring no one is left behind. John participated in community dialogues that engaged men in the community to become agents of change. His participation in the project shifted his mindset towards child marriage, stating,
Do not rush a girl into marriage. Let her grow and study first, education brings more value than bride price.
To overcome stigma and taboo, JCO ensured that they had culturally-sensitive communications strategies to meet the needs of the communities. By engaging with communities and focusing on their needs throughout the project, sustainable gains could be made to ensure sustainability to improve SRHR.
Looking forward
JCO’s initial impact is clear. They are seeking to sustain the gains made through this two year project through:
- Securing follow-on funding to train youth and women leaders as SRHR ambassadors and expand the paralegal model and SRHR interventions to other states in South Sudan;
- Advocating for the formal validation and implementation of the zero-tolerance SGBV policy;
- Establishing more permanent safe spaces with age appropriate content including adolescent girls (10-19); and
- Continuing mass awareness campaigns through archived media resources.
In the meantime, the multiplier effect of their integrated approach to promoting SRHR within communities in Juba is ongoing. As another project participant, Hellen, says,
We shall go and teach those who didn’t get the chance to come.
1Payams are the second-lowest administrative division, below counties, in South Sudan.
