How the United Nations Is Empowering a Generation to Drive Sustainable Development in South Sudan

In South Sudan, the path to peace and sustainable development is being shaped by women and young people.

They are rebuilding businesses after displacement, mediating community disputes, returning to classrooms after years away, and creating new livelihoods through technical skills and entrepreneurship. In villages, towns and cities across the country, women and youth are turning resilience into action and action into lasting change.

The United Nations in South Sudan, working with the Government of South Sudan, civil society and development partners, is supporting this transformation through the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF). Under Strategic Priority 4, women and youth empowerment is recognized not as a stand-alone goal, but as a cross-cutting investment in peace, economic recovery, social development and inclusive governance.

The premise is straightforward: when women and young people can learn, lead and earn, they strengthen families, revitalize communities and accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.

From Survival to Self-Reliance

For many South Sudanese women, empowerment begins with the chance to rebuild after crisis. When conflict in Sudan forced Suher Ahmed to flee to Renk, she arrived carrying the weight of profound loss. Her home was gone, her poultry business had collapsed, and the future she had carefully built seemed to disappear overnight.

“The war took everything from me,” she recalls. “My home, my business, my peace.”

Weeks of uncertainty left her struggling with grief and trauma. Then, in July 2025, she joined the Protective Hands Association, a women’s support group established through a project implemented by UN Women in partnership with Humanitarian Aid for South Sudan and funded by the Government of Japan.

There, Suher found more than financial support. She found solidarity.

“But this group received me with open hearts,” she says. “They became my emotional support.”

Through Village Savings and Loan Association activities and peer counselling, she regained her confidence and began rebuilding her life.

“I feel like myself again,” she says. “This group lifted me when I had fallen.”

Suher’s journey illustrates a broader truth: empowerment starts when people are given the support and opportunity to move from survival to self-reliance.

Turning Opportunity into Economic Independence

That same principle is transforming lives in Wau.

Veronica Angeth Aciek, a 58-year-old widow living with a disability, spent years trying to support her three children through a small bed sheet business. Income was uncertain, and paying school fees was often a struggle.

Her circumstances changed when she joined the Piontok Village Savings and Loan Association through the South Sudan Women’s Economic Empowerment Project, funded by the World Bank and implemented by UN Women in partnership with CARE International.

“I borrowed money from the group, and this is what I used to educate my children,” Veronica says. “I even bought land.”

The savings group provided credit, business support and a network of women working toward shared goals.

Across South Sudan, similar initiatives are helping women and youth establish businesses, increase household incomes and build resilience to economic shocks. 

In agriculture, FAO is equipping women and young people with seeds, tools and climate-smart farming techniques, enabling them to move from subsistence production to agribusiness and stronger food security.

 “When we came back from Khartoum, everything was difficult, and we didn’t know where to start. But with the support from FAO and its partners, we are now able to grow food for our children, rebuild our lives, and plan for the future. We hope to expand our farms, help others in need and save seeds for the next season,” Angelina Nyawetde, a single mother of four and a former refugee who returned from Khartoum.

Economic empowerment is not only about earning an income. It is about restoring dignity, expanding choices and creating a foundation for long-term stability.

Learning as a Pathway to Leadership

Education is another powerful driver of transformation.

In a classroom in Juba, women from South Sudan’s security sector are revisiting lessons many never had the opportunity to complete.

“There is only one city named Juba, so it takes a capital letter—isn’t it?” a teacher asks.

“Yes, teacher!” the class responds.

The women are participating in literacy, numeracy and digital skills courses delivered through a joint initiative led by UNESCO, UNDP and UN Women, with technical support from UNMISS and funding from the UN Peacebuilding Fund.More than 800 women in uniform are gaining the skills and confidence needed to perform their duties effectively and compete for leadership positions.

“After educating our children, now it is our turn to learn,” says Lieutenant Colonel Eliza Adut. “We want to fight for our rights.”

For many participants, the lessons also mean being able to read their children’s schoolbooks, manage personal finances and better document cases of sexual and gender-based violence. By investing in lifelong learning, the program is helping women claim their place as leaders in peacebuilding and security sector reform.

Equipping Youth to Build Their Own Futures

South Sudan’s greatest asset is its young population, and their aspirations are reshaping the country.

In Wau, childhood friends Musa and Oliver once earned a living as boda boda drivers. Today, they operate their own welding business after completing a technical and vocational education and training program supported by UNESCO and funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.

“After the training, we topped up the grant we received by selling our bikes,” Musa explains. “That allowed us to set up our own business.”

Oliver adds, “It is much more secure, and we want to keep growing.”

Nearby, Ibrahim uses his mechanics skills to run an auto repair workshop while mentoring other young people.

“For me, the best part is that I now have an income for my family,” he says.

UNESCO and its partners have supported skills training for more than 5,000 young women and men nationwide, connecting education to employment and entrepreneurship. In addition, UNDP has trained over 30,000 people in vocational skills, with nearly 24,000 now earning an income. Support for micro and small businesses also created over 4,400 jobs, mainly for women and youth.

Through the UNDP Student Ambassador Program, youth are also championing the SDGs and strengthening civic engagement in their communities. The UNDP Student Ambassador Program is a global youth empowerment initiative that connects university students with UNDP offices worldwide. It gives young people a platform to learn, grow, and lead through practical engagement with development issues.

Women and Youth Strengthening Peace and Governance

Economic opportunity and education are most powerful when paired with a voice in decision-making.

In 2025, more than 400 women participated in the National Women’s Conference, representing the views of over 700 women consulted across the country. The conference led to the establishment of the South Sudan Women’s Union, a non-partisan platform with representation in all states.

Six women-led coalitions engaged in the constitution-making process in Juba, Wau, Yambio, Torit, Bor and Yei, ensuring that women’s priorities informed national discussions on governance and rights.At the same time, 21 women mediators facilitated dialogue among parties to the peace agreement, reaffirming dialogue as the preferred means of resolving disputes. Young people are also being prepared to lead. Through innovation hubs, civic engagement programs and community initiatives, they are contributing ideas and energy to peacebuilding and national development. These efforts are reinforcing a more inclusive model of governance in which women and youth are active architects of South Sudan’s future.

Protecting Rights and Transforming Social Norms

Empowerment cannot flourish without safety and dignity.

In 2025, more than 124,000 people accessed UN-supported gender-based violence prevention and response services, including over 66,000 survivors who received case management and psychosocial support. Community dialogues involving 153 influential leaders helped challenge harmful norms and reduce acceptance of violence against women and girls.In schools such as Juba Diocese Secondary School, UNESCO’s Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future Program is creating safe spaces where students can discuss health, relationships and mutual respect.

“It’s a safe space where we can talk freely about issues that are important to us,” says Salma, a fourth-year student.

Together, these initiatives are helping build communities where women and young people can participate fully and confidently.

Building Institutions That Sustain Progress

For empowerment to endure, it must be supported by strong institutions. In Juba, a new headquarters for the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare is being constructed with support from UNOPS and funding from the World Bank, strengthening the Ministry’s capacity to coordinate gender equality programs nationwide.

Women’s Economic Empowerment Centers in Wau and Torit, supported by FAO, are expanding access to entrepreneurship training, agricultural services and business support.

These investments are laying the institutional foundation needed to scale up and sustain progress across the country.

 “I want to become one of the greatest businesswomen in Agok, so that I can help my community shift from small scale business” Rebecca Adhel, 34 from Wau, a Head of a multigenerational household of sixteen. For years, she relied on sorghum production to meet her family’s basic needs. Four years ago, Rebecca joined a women’s economic empowerment group established by FAO, through which the organization’s experts provided training to women farmers with entrepreneurship ambitions.

A Future Led by Women and Youth

From Suher rebuilding her life after displacement to Musa and Oliver turning welding skills into a thriving business, one message runs through every story: when women and young people are empowered, they transform their own lives and the future of their country.

They are restoring livelihoods, promoting peace, challenging discrimination and opening opportunities for others. They are advancing the Sustainable Development Goals and helping build a South Sudan that is more peaceful, inclusive and prosperous.

As Suher Ahmed reflects on her journey, her words resonate far beyond her own experience:

“This group lifted me when I had fallen.”

In many ways, that is what empowerment does. It helps individuals rise and in doing so, lifts entire communities and nations with them.