Growing up in Sudan before the independence of South Sudan, Dorcas was raised in a context marked by conflict and entrenched cultural expectations about women’s roles. Ambition, especially for girls, often came with invisible boundaries. Encouraged by an HRDA alumnus, she applied to the HRDA Programme despite doubting her chances. Receiving the acceptance letter marked the beginning of a profound personal and professional transformation.
At the GC Africa Programme, Dorcas encountered an academically rigorous yet deeply supportive environment. The first semester challenged her resilience through intensive readings, presentations and demanding deadlines. At the same time, lecturers and tutors fostered not only academic growth but also mental strength and solidarity among students. Creative assignments — including drama, poetry, and collaborative presentations — encouraged new ways of engaging with human rights issues and strengthened bonds within the cohort .
Her second-semester mobility experience in Cotonou, Benin, further expanded her horizons. At the University of Abomey-Calavi and during her placement with Amnesty International Benin, she worked closely with local human rights defenders, examined Universal Periodic Review commitments and explored the relationship between legislation and lived realities. The experience deepened her understanding of regional human rights systems and demonstrated the importance of cross-cultural solidarity in advancing accountability.
Academically, HRDA transformed Dorcas’s confidence. Once hesitant about her writing abilities, she developed clarity in analysing African human rights jurisprudence and mechanisms. Inspired by her studies, she authored an article urging South Sudan to ratify the Protocol establishing the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and to enable direct access for individuals and NGOs .
Professionally, moot courts, debates, proposal-writing workshops and policy discussions strengthened her analytical and advocacy skills. More importantly, the Programme reshaped her sense of belonging in professional spaces she had once considered beyond reach.
For Dorcas, HRDA was not merely an academic experience but a turning point. Becoming the first woman in her family to obtain a master’s degree represents both personal achievement and a wider message of possibility . Today, she continues to advocate for the rights of women and girls in South Sudan and across Africa — rising not because the path is easy, but because her purpose is greater than the challenges she faces.
From Dorcas Francis Loly Werson’s Dean essay Rising From Turbulence to Excellence: My Transformation Through the HRDA LLM Programme, 27 November 2025Dean’s Essay