Programs & Thematic Areas
Five Thematic Areas of Impact
WDG's work is structured around five interconnected thematic areas, each addressing a critical dimension of women's empowerment, peace, and community resilience in Western Bahr el Ghazal and Warrap States.
Food Security and Economic Empowerment
We support food security and economic empowerment by training farmers in improved agricultural practices, providing farming inputs, offering extension services, facilitating market linkages, promoting value addition, and implementing Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA). Together these interventions increase access to economic resources, reduce poverty, and improve the quality of life for women and their families.
Key Objectives
- Train farmers in improved and climate-conscious agricultural practices
- Provide farming inputs, beekeeping, and fishing equipment to vulnerable households
- Establish and strengthen Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) for women
- Facilitate market linkages and promote value addition for local produce
Reach & Outcomes
- ◆Over 10,000 people reached through food security and livelihoods initiatives since 2001
- ◆Over 20,000 people reached through Village Savings and Loan Associations across two states
Peacebuilding and Trauma Healing
We promote peacebuilding and trauma healing through community dialogues, training, and awareness raising, applying international, regional, and national peacebuilding frameworks. Through counselling, referral, cultural initiatives, and community exchange, we help restore relationships and build sustainable, cohesive communities recovering from conflict.
Key Objectives
- Facilitate community dialogues and reconciliation processes
- Provide psychosocial support, counselling, and survivor referral
- Deliver disaster risk reduction and community resilience activities
- Engage youth, men, and traditional leaders as agents of peace
Reach & Outcomes
- ◆Over 150 people reached through community peacebuilding and disaster risk reduction in Wau and Tonj North Counties
- ◆Ongoing psychosocial support and counselling for survivors of conflict and violence
Gender Equality and Human Rights
We promote gender equality and human rights through training, mentorship, and coaching, and by raising awareness using international, regional, and national gender and human rights frameworks. Our work spans gender mainstreaming, advocacy, counselling, service provision, and the monitoring and referral of gender-based violence (GBV) cases, to secure inclusive communities and social justice.
Key Objectives
- Prevent and respond to gender-based violence, including referral pathways and psychosocial support
- Lead the Women Lead and Women Rights Forums of more than 35 member organizations
- Advocate against early marriage and other harmful traditional practices
- Mainstream gender across community and institutional structures
Reach & Outcomes
- ◆More than 10,000 people reached through gender equality and women’s leadership initiatives
- ◆Over 150,000 people reached through GBV prevention and response, with 30+ Protection Information Desks
- ◆Over 500 students and their parents reached with advocacy to end early marriage
Governance, Participation and Leadership
We support governance initiatives through training, mentorship, coaching, advocacy, community engagement, women profiling, and awareness raising, equipping women to lead community affairs, take ownership, and secure equal and inclusive decision-making, leadership, and accountability. Our goal is durable, community-owned governance in which women and youth are full participants.
Key Objectives
- Build the leadership capacity of women and youth for public life
- Support women to lead community affairs and take ownership of local development
- Advance inclusive, accountable, and equitable decision-making
- Profile and mentor emerging women leaders
Reach & Outcomes
- ◆Over 1,000 stakeholders, including chiefs, Payam administrators, rural women leaders, and youth leaders, strengthened in leadership and governance
Capacity Strengthening for Staff, Community and Stakeholders
We strengthen the capacities of staff, communities, and other stakeholders by conducting capacity and service needs assessments, on-the-job staff training, community training, mentorship and coaching, exchange visits, and research linkages with academic institutions. This enables WDG to deliver its mission, secure resources, sustain community outcomes, and promote a culture of learning.
Key Objectives
- Assess capacity and service needs across staff and communities
- Deliver on-the-job staff training, community training, mentorship, and coaching
- Organize exchange visits and research linkages with academic institutions
- Promote organizational learning and resource mobilization
Reach & Outcomes
- ◆Over 1,000 community and local-government actors strengthened across Western Bahr el Ghazal and Warrap States
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Partner with WDG
We welcome partnerships with organizations, donors, and community leaders who share our commitment to women-led development and peace in South Sudan.
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