(JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN) – A multi-million dollar initiative is helping South Sudanese women build businesses, gain job skills and escape poverty, with thousands already reached through training, grants and support services.
The South Sudan Women’s Social and Economic Empowerment Project is a $52 million four-year programme funded by the World Bank and implemented by the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare.
Around four in five people in South Sudan live in extreme poverty, among the highest rates in the world, according to the World Bank.
Women face additional barriers including limited access to finance, little say in household decisions and almost no formal business training.
The project’s Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Facility has enrolled more than 1,200 women-owned businesses in intensive training and disbursed nearly $556,000 in business grants, according to the World Bank. It has also linked more than 500 entrepreneurs to public and private sector actors.
The facility is delivered by the International Rescue Committee and Open Capital Advisors under UN Women guidance.
One beneficiary, Joy Ladu, founded Ubuntu to produce and sell South Sudanese goods. Through the programme’s Growth Lab, she received one-on-one support to analyse her supply chain, identify new markets and build a growth roadmap. Coaching helped her sharpen her investment pitch and professionalise operations.
South Sudanese-grown products are now reaching international markets, and the women who supply Ubuntu have a more reliable buyer and a structured path to income, according to the World Bank.
In November 2025, 249 women entrepreneurs signed grant agreements under the facility. Of those, 245 women under the Seed Lab received grants ranging from $2,000 to $4,000, while four Growth Lab entrepreneurs secured between $15,000 and $50,000.
Hon. Esther Ikere Eluzai, Undersecretary of the Ministry, said at the signing ceremony: “This money is earned, not given. Through tough eligibility criteria, you proved your readiness. We are changing the narrative from humanitarian dependency to enterprise-driven independence”.
The project also plans to build five Women’s Economic Community Centres in states across the country. These centres will offer starter kits and grants, gender-based violence response and referrals, and training in business, leadership, financial literacy, advocacy and peacebuilding.
UNOPS is building two centres in Torit and Wau, a safe house and new headquarters for the Ministry of Gender in Juba, according to the World Bank.
A national gender-based violence hotline is also being established, giving survivors access to psychosocial support, health services, police, child support, legal aid and shelter through a toll-free 24-hour line.
Under a fourth component, the ministry is focusing on policymaking and coordination on women’s empowerment. It trains and accredits ministry social workers to address gender-based violence cases, support family mediation and meet ministry needs.
Meanwhile, the Food and Agriculture Organization has supported thousands of women farmers and small business owners in Wau over the past three years with tools and skills in climate-smart agriculture, nutrition and financial inclusion, according to FAO.
The FAO support, funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, has helped women like Rebecca Adhel start bakeries, Grace Ali Darfur rear goats and Viola Albino grow vegetables for market.
Grace Ali Darfur said of her goats: “I feel so happy rearing livestock because they saved the life of my daughter”.
Viola Albino grows vegetables including okra, amaranth, sorghum and cowpeas. She said she hopes to scale up production and become one of the major vegetable producers in her community.
