Women's participation in peacebuilding and post-conflict governance in South Sudan

Abstract

Abstract Since independence in 2011, South Sudan has experienced protracted civil conflict and political instability, with women and girls bearing disproportionate burdens of violence and displacement. Despite formal endorsement of international frameworks such as United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, women's meaningful participation in peacebuilding and post-conflict governance remains severely constrained. Drawing on 42 semi-structured interviews conducted between January and August 2023 with women peacebuilders, civil society leaders, government officials, and international organisation representatives, alongside participant observation at four community peace dialogues and policy document analysis, this qualitative case study examines barriers to and opportunities for women's substantive inclusion in Juba and Yei River County. Thematic analysis, guided by feminist institutionalism, reveals three primary patterns. First, a stark disconnect exists between formal policy commitments—including the 35 per cent quota mandated by the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan—and the lived reality of tokenistic inclusion, where women are appointed to portfolios with limited authority and their contributions are systematically marginalised in decision-making spaces. Second, women's critical yet unrecognised role in grassroots peacebuilding is evident, particularly through community-based reconciliation committees that mediate ethnic disputes, facilitate the return of abducted children, and provide psychosocial support, often with minimal external funding and in the face of hostility from local authorities. Third, the interplay between patriarchal governance structures, militarised masculinities, and the instrumentalisation of customary law perpetuates systemic exclusion. The findings challenge celebratory accounts of women's participation and underscore the need to move beyond numerical representation towards transformative structural change. References Asmorowati, S., & Ceesay, O. (2025). Women's participation in peacebuilding and post-conflict governance in South Sudan. PARJ African Journal of Peace and Security Studies. Ceesay, O., & Asmorowati, S. (2025). [Title]. PARJ African Journal of Peace and Security Studies. Deng, A., & V., M. (2025). [Title]. PARJ African Journal of Peace and Security Studies. Binder, C., & O'Reilly, M. (2023). [Title]. PARJ African Journal of Peace and Security Studies. Haastrup, T., & Kenny, M. (2023). [Title]. PARJ African Journal of Peace and Security Studies. Arou, M., & Tounsel, T. (2023). [Title]. PARJ African Journal of Peace and Security Studies. Madut, M. A., & Nyuon, A. K. (2026). Impact of non-state actors' participation in preventive diplomacy on peacebuilding and conflict resolution dynamics in post-independence South Sudan. PARJ African Journal of Peace and Security Studies. Nyuon, A. K., & Elia, L. L. (2025). Gender, governance, and peace: Policy implications