Born into a family that did not believe in girls’ education, she had to stay at home while her brothers went to school. Only when he moved to Khartoum with his uncle did he have the opportunity to study, although not for long.
“I was forced to get married when I was 14,” Awrelia said. “Even before, some relatives scolded me just for going to school. I struggled to finish primary school, but I couldn’t go any further.”
Still, she never gave up on the value of education, especially for her daughters. “I hope that when they grow up they become responsible and successful women leaders. Something has to change for girls.”
Awrelia at her home in Wau.
Widowed mother of eight children
In South Sudan, where conflict and deeply entrenched gender norms have shaped life for generations, change comes slowly; However, women like Awrelia lead it with courage and determination.
A widow and mother of eight, she has spent years raising her children alone, often in difficult and uncertain conditions.
“Their father died when they were very young. The oldest was still in elementary school,” Awrelia recalls. “I’ve been raising them alone ever since.”
In her daily life, Awrelia constantly navigates complex family dynamics, scarcity, and stigma, but she keeps going. “People expect us to endure in silence. Even when women try to seek help, no one responds.”
In public spaces, the challenges are even greater. On the eve of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, celebrated annually on November 25, Awrelia described how women are often dismissed or ignored. “They say we’re just women, as if our voices don’t matter,” she said. “I stayed silent for years because I was afraid to speak.”
Nearly 1,400 women across South Sudan have benefited from leadership training.
Transformative training
But even before she spoke, Awrelia was already leading in her own way: fighting for her children’s education and keeping her family together. That strength deepened when she joined a leadership training for women organized by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Wau.
The training is included in IOM’s gender transformative recovery program, part of a broader, locally-led effort to strengthen women’s leadership and ensure their participation in community decisions.
Across South Sudan, women’s groups and grassroots movements have long been laying the groundwork for change. The five-day course builds on that momentum and offers women a safe space to reflect, learn and grow together.
I learned that being a leader means treating others fairly and solving problems patiently. The training gave me the courage to defend myself. Now I know I can lead.
“I learned that being a leader means treating others fairly and solving problems patiently,” he said. “The training gave me courage to stand up for myself. Now I know I can lead.”
Returning to his community, he put his new confidence into practice. Her local women’s group had nearly collapsed, but she put it back together. They now meet regularly to support each other and share their challenges.
Although they lack funding for income-generating activities such as sewing or catering, the group offers something equally powerful: solidarity.
Women run households
In many displacement-affected areas of South Sudan, women head up to 80 percent of households.
In Wau, Bentiu, Malakal and other areas where IOM runs the programme, more women are coming forward. Those who previously remained silent now speak out at meetings, support survivors of violence, and build networks to share experiences and grow together.
Awrelia has noticed a change in the way she is perceived. “People recognize me now,” he said. “During a meeting with bosses and women leaders, they mentioned my name and honored me in front of everyone. It made me feel proud. The women I lead respect me and I respect them.”
From homes to community halls, women like Awrelia are finding their voices and reshaping what the future will look like: for their daughters, their families, and their country.