Gender based violence court and women’s access to justice: a case of Juba County, Central Equatoria State, South Sudan

Abstract

The study assessed the the effectiveness of Gender Based Violence Courts in Promoting Women and Girls access to Justice in Munuki Payam, Juba County. The study objectives were; to examine the services provided by the Gender Based Violence Court to women and girls seeking justice in Juba County; to assess the procedures required by the GBV courts for women and girls to access the services for GBV survivors, and to evaluate the effectiveness of Gender-Based Violence Courts in promoting access to justice for women and girls in Juba County, South Sudan. This study employed qualitative approach. A case study research design was followed. Munuki Payam was selected as the specific study area within Juba County. The study considered women and girls who had experienced or were at risk of experiencing GBV, including physical, sexual, psychological, and economic violence. Data was collected from 10 survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) and 06 key informants. Purposive sampling strategy was applied in this study, because the researcher believed that by interviewing women/girls who access justice from the specialized GBV court would give the information needed for the study. Thematic analysis was used with help of Atlas.ti software to identify patterns and themes from qualitative data. The study found that the GBV courts offer legal and psychological support services. The study also identified barriers that survivors face when accessing support services, including fear, shame, language barriers, and transportation costs. The study notes that the cost of transportation and case follow-up was a significant obstacle, despite the legal process itself being technically free accessing the courts. One of the key findings of the study was that the GBV courts played a role in raising awareness and educating the public about women's and girls' rights. The study recommends that it is crucial to establish more GBV courts in other states or regions because this would reduce the travel burden for survivors and make access to justice more equitable