Outcome SSD_D_1.3

Children, women and men in South Sudan, particularly youth and vulnerable groups, enjoy improved coverage of inclusive, responsive, quality social services and social protection

In 2024, as part of UN Women efforts to enhance inclusive, responsive, and quality social services and social protection for women and girls in South Sudan , 29 women and girls, including those living with and affected by HIV, now benefit form economic empowerment and leadership capacities. Through the collaboration with the National Empowered Positive United (NEWPU), these beneficiaries received tailored start-up kits, such as sewing machines, and participated in targeted entrepreneurship training to enhance their skills, financial literacy, and business acumen. As a result, participants have reported increased confidence in managing income-generating activities, contributing to their economic independence and social inclusion.

Children, women and men in South Sudan, particularly youth and vulnerable groups, enjoy improved coverage of inclusive, responsive, quality social services and social protection

467 GBV survivors (459 women and 8 men) were referred and assisted with psychosocial support service (PSS) at WECs in Bor and Pariak. In addition, Over 70 women IDPs and host communities received service at renovated Mangala Primary Health Care Centre in a day as compared to the previous 30 people before the renovation. The PHCC is now able to operate at night as well to respond to emergencies.

Children, women and men in South Sudan, particularly youth and vulnerable groups, enjoy improved coverage of inclusive, responsive, quality social services and social protection

In 2025, UN Women contributed to improved access to inclusive, responsive, and quality social services and social protection for children, women, and men in South Sudan, particularly youth and vulnerable groups, within conflict- and displacement-affected contexts. UN Women, in close collaboration with partners, delivered integrated humanitarian, protection, and resilience-building interventions in Malakal and Renk, two critical transit and displacement hubs affected by the spillover of the Sudan conflict. Through survivor-centred and community-based approaches, UN Women strengthened access to essential protection and social services for refugees, returnees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and host communities across IDP camps, transit sites, and surrounding payams. A total of 5,890 women and girls from vulnerable groups directly accessed life-saving assistance, including psychosocial support, GBV response services, referrals to clinical and legal care, and registration for essential non-food items. Indirectly, over 60,100 individuals benefited from improved awareness, outreach, and community engagement initiatives. Access to gender-responsive social services improved significantly through strengthened coordination with GBV sub-cluster partners and local service providers, resulting in more functional referral pathways and increased trust in response mechanisms. Community awareness initiatives, including radio programmes and facilitated dialogues, reached over 50,100 people, contributing to a 30 per cent increase in awareness of GBV referral pathways and available support services. As a result, survivors increasingly accessed survivor-centred services, marking a substantial improvement from baseline levels. Complementing protection services, UN Women supported social and economic recovery through women’s leadership and livelihood initiatives. Women and girls enhanced their resilience through participation in peacebuilding, community governance, and economic empowerment platforms, including Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), which also functioned as informal social protection mechanisms. These integrated interventions helped mitigate economic vulnerability, reduce reliance on negative coping strategies, and promote social cohesion in highly fragile settings.