1.Introduction

that this might not be the case for governments. Therefore, carefully considering potential risks and

focusing discussions on practical measures provide an entry point for dialogue.

1. Introduction

As in most conflicts, in South Sudan, women and girls have been the most vulnerable. Not only do they face many challenges, including extreme poverty and lack of access to basic services and productive assets, but many of the risks they face, such as gender–based violence (GBV), are heightened during times of conflict. Furthermore, gendered roles and traditional norms limit women’s mobility and hinder their escape from violence. During the civil war, forced and early marriage appears to have increased and procreation has been regarded as a patriotic duty. When men are killed or flee for fear of forced mobilization, women and children are left alone, making them vulnerable even within their own community.

Social protection and poverty–reduction programs are increasingly emerging as important policy tools to rebuild the social fabric of fragile and conflict–affected countries. The inclusion of women and groups with low bargaining power and with low access to productive resources in poverty–reduction programs can tackle specific vulnerabilities and solidify efforts to promote gender equality. On the other hand, failing to recognize existing gaps can exacerbate inequality to the detriment of vulnerable subgroups and further exacerbate the country’s overall fragility (Caprioli, 2005). Yet, until now, there have been few assessments undertaken to better understand how successfully these goals have been achieved in South Sudan and distil key lessons learned. There is even less evidence that demonstrates the effect of programs on gender–based violence.

This paper aims to answer two questions for which there is limited evidence. First, how do social protection

and other poverty reduction programs address the needs of women and girls in South Sudan? For the purpose of this report social protection or safety net programs are defined as noncontributory economic

support to households and individuals including transfers of cash, vouchers, in–kind support, school–feeding, fee waivers, cash–for–work, or public works programs. Second, how can social protection and other poverty–reduction programs promote gender equality in the design and implementation of operations in South Sudan? Even though the paper focuses primarily on the context of South Sudan, we believe the lessons are applicable across many fragile and conflict–affected countries. The analysis in this paper focuses on women and girls, as very few operations and impact evaluations were found that identified the needs of men and boys or aimed to close reverse gender gaps. Importantly, in situations of conflict, women and girls are most exposed to adversity, and many of the risks they face, such as gender–based violence, are intensified (Buvinic et al., 2013). However, where there is evidence, the analysis refers to specific challenges faced by other vulnerable groups, such as young men. The intended audience for this paper is World Bank

task teams and development practitioners working in fragile situations.