Advocacy Strategy

Advancing inclusive development, protection, peacebuilding, and climate resilience for children, youth, women, and persons with disabilities in South Sudan.

Context Overview

South Sudan faces overlapping crises — economic instability, climate shocks, armed conflict, weak social systems, and social exclusion — all of which disproportionately affect children, youth, women, and persons with disabilities.

Key Challenges:

Poverty and environmental stress
Displacement and conflict
Weak protection and social services
Limited access to education, SRH, and livelihoods
Social exclusion and stigma
Inaccessible humanitarian and government systems

These intersecting crises worsen vulnerability and reinforce inequalities. ASI’s advocacy focuses on strengthening protection systems, promoting inclusive governance, supporting disability inclusion, expanding SRH access, and enhancing climate resilience and peaceful coexistence.

Our Advocacy Focus

ASI’s advocacy is anchored in 6 priority areas derived from evidence and community realities.

1️⃣ Disability Inclusion

Addressing barriers: environmental, systemic, technological, and attitudinal.

2️⃣ Child, Youth & Women Protection

Preventing violence, exploitation, and harmful practices.

3️⃣ Peacebuilding & Armed Violence Reduction

Supporting inclusive peace structures and social cohesion.

4️⃣ Climate Justice & Environmental Resilience

Promoting inclusive adaptation and DRR.

5️⃣ Inclusive Sexual & Reproductive Health (SRH)

Ensuring SRH is accessible, youth-friendly, and disability-inclusive.

6️⃣ Governance & Participation

Promoting civic engagement and representation for children, youth, women, and persons with disabilities.

What We Are Addressing

Exclusion of Persons with Disabilities

Barriers: physical, systemic, technological, attitudinal
Limited access to education, health, humanitarian aid, employment
Low representation in decision-making spaces

Climate & Environmental Stress

Floods, droughts, resource scarcity
Climate-induced displacement
Persons with disabilities left out of DRR frameworks

Child, Youth & Women Protection

Child marriage, trafficking, early pregnancy
Youth marginalization
High GBV risks for women and girls with disabilities

Inclusive SRH

Stigma in accessing SRH
Poor disability-inclusive services
High maternal mortality & teenage pregnancies

Opportunities for Inclusive Action

National disability laws and supportive policies
SDG commitment
Active networks of OPDs and civil society
Potential for disability-inclusive humanitarian response
Growing climate adaptation platforms
Community willingness for behavioral change

Advocacy Goal

Long-Term Goal:

To promote inclusive, resilient, and peaceful communities by ensuring the full participation and protection of children, youth, women, and persons with disabilities in climate adaptation, DRR, peacebuilding, protection, and governance policies.

Intermediate Objectives:

Integrate disability inclusion, SRH, and climate resilience into national policies
Increase leadership and representation of marginalized groups
Ensure accessible facilities and humanitarian systems
Improve disability-, age-, and gender-disaggregated data
Strengthen collaboration with OPDs, youth, and women networks
Advocate for 5% public budget allocation for inclusion and protection
Influence national development policies
Shift attitudes through public awareness

Who We Influence

Primary Targets:

Line ministries & government agencies
Parliament (Social Services Committee)
Local government

Secondary Targets:

Media & journalists
Donors & development partners
Private sector
OPDs & civil society

Allies:

Human rights organizations
Academia & research institutions
Youth and women networks

How We Achieve Change

Objective 1: Policy Advocacy

Policy briefs
Meetings with policymakers
Participation in consultations

Objective 2: Budget Influence

Budget analysis
Advocacy before budget sessions
Engaging parliament leaders

Objective 3: Capacity Building

Training modules
Workshops for ministries

Objective 4: Public Awareness

Media campaigns
Storytelling
Social media advocacy
Inclusion awards

Objective 5: Partnerships

Coalitions with OPDs
MoUs with allies
Joint statements