The World Bank has approved a 70 million U.S. dollar International Development Association (IDA) grant to boost women's social and economic empowerment in South Sudan.

Firas Raad, World Bank Country Manager for South Sudan, said the project, South Sudan Women and Social and Economic Empowerment Project (SSWEEP), aims to support female entrepreneurs in formalizing and scaling up their business activities and help survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) access vital services that will enable them to recover and rebuild their lives.

"This project will help women to grow their businesses and improve their livelihood by providing grants, training, and technical assistance," Raad told reporters in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, on Friday.

He said the project will target 91,000 women and 5,200 adolescent girls, while indirectly reaching 673,400 people.

Raad said the grant will help the young country improve access to basic infrastructure and strengthen institutional capacities.

He said survivors of gender-based violence require substantial support to recover from the physical and psychological trauma that they have endured.

The World Bank official said the project will help expand their access to vital health services and psychosocial support, and will work on strengthening the prevention of GBV.

According to the World Bank, the project comprises four components that aim at holistically addressing the specific challenges affecting the growth and development of women in South Sudan, including community-based socio-economic empowerment of women, establishing a women's entrepreneurial opportunity facility, providing services for survivors of GBV and supporting institutional strengthening and project management.

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