Hope, pain and patience

Pain, hope and patience: The lives of women in South Sudan is an edited collection of new research and analysis by a selection of Sudanese and non-Sudanese authors outlining the experiences and contributions of women to South Sudan's path to freedom. It is the first of its kind. By telling the stories of many brave women, the book highlights some of the tremendous challenges related to gender issues in South Sudan today. These are, amongst others: a lack of access to education for women, the prevalence of highly patriarchal traditions and customs many of which are enshrined in a patriarchal customary law framework and poor health care services resulting in the highest maternal mortality rate in the world. It is hoped that this book and the stories in entails will contribute meaningfully to the creation of a policy framework that is in line with the vision of a democratic and peaceful South Sudan.

Friederike Bubenzer is a project leader of the Great Horn Desk at the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation in Cape Town, South Africa. In this capacity she has developed and contributed to a range of transitional-justice-related processes with communities and policy makers in Uganda, South Sudan, and Zimbabwe. Orly Stern is a human-rights lawyer and researcher from South Africa. She works as an independent analyst, researching issues related to conflict, gender, HIV and human rights. She is currently a fellow with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative.