The Chief Executive Officer of Triple A Petroleum – a leading wholesale and retail supplier of petroleum products and logistics services demanded for gender equality in the oil industry.
While closing a two-day oil and power conference in Juba on Wednesday, the Triple A petroleum principle officer asked the ministry of petroleum to establish a scholarship program specifically for women to enable them acquire the necessary skills in oil exploration and extraction.
“We need to provide scholarships to young women, and companies like Nilepet, DPOC and SPOC need to open their doors for women to be empowered. Women are the future and the future is now. If South Sudanese women can run successful homes, then they can also run successful businesses,” she continued.
Ms.Agook underscored that successful growth and development of South Sudan oil sector is embedded in gender equality and skills development for women.
“South Sudan’s oil and gas industry is missing out on a golden opportunity by not including women and female entrepreneurs who can provide a wide range of services, from logistics to engineering and to food services,” she outlined.
She opined that it is imperative for women to be in the board leadership of oil firms so that they can always be able to come up with women based solutions to challenges that women in the oil producing states may encounter.
“One of them is giving birth to deformed children and losing their resources of livelihood and all this is due to lack of proper representation at the table where women should be part of the decision making,” she said.
There has previously been reports about spilled oil causing environmental damage, health problems such as birth defects, miscarriages in some oil producing places like Unity State and Ruweng.
“I believe if we have women at the table where these decisions about them are made, they would know better how to prevent such things from happening,” the CEO concluded.