By William Madouk
Women and girls in South Sudan appealed to President Salva Kiir to act on persistent early and forced marriages.
In an open letter to the president, young women and girls of South Sudan lamented gross human rights violations against forced child marriage.
“We, the young women and girls of South Sudan, are prompted to write this letter after witnessing and experiencing gross human rights violation cases of child and forced marriages that are tragically widespread in South Sudan,” said Night Agnes Wani, trainer of trainees (TOT) for the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA).
She said they recognized the president’s efforts in making the declaration on ending child marriage in 2014 through South Sudan strategic action plan and the formation of the National Champions.
South Sudanese young women and girls also cited that despite the government’s efforts towards promoting agenda, the plague of ‘forced marriage’ is still killing the future of many women and girls.
They said by law, “We have the right to education, to choose a partner, to participate in decision-making, and also to equal access to resources.”
“However, due to negative social and cultural norms, our participation has been limited. We are forced to get married without consent, and worse still, to men who are beyond our father’s age,” she added.
According to Night, early and forced marriage has increased the mortality rate among young women during labour.
“It is extremely disturbing to see such statistics from our beloved South Sudan.” Ms. Night mourned.
She added that young women and girls in this country deserve better treatment, support, and security.
“These can be achieved by proper and adequate implementation of laws and policies that protect our rights, including the recently ratified Maputo Protocol,” Night said.
The young women and girls also explained that they wrote the letter to the president because he is a duty bearer who is responsible for delivering justice to victims.
“The police, chiefs, and lawmakers are too afraid to stand against the norms in the name of culture’” the group stated.
“Your Excellency, there is a need for those in positions of command and other relevant authority to promptly adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual and gender-based violence,” the letter noted.
“We need our rights protected, and you have the power to do so by defining the marriageable age in the Permanent Constitution currently under development as over the age of 18,” the letter continued.
The young women and girls also call for enactment of Anti-GBV Bill to end gender-based violence and impunity for GBV perpetrators in the country.
On May 20, 2022, a senior four student at King’s College Secondary School in Jonglei State was reportedly removed forcefully from examination hall by his brother to be married off.
The family of the girl stormed the school compound and stopped her from sitting examinations, according to Lual Monyluak Dau, the state Minister of General Education and Instruction.
An attempt by the school administration to persuade the family to allow the girl to complete her exams was futile.
Again, in April 2023, 18-year-old girl became the latest recorded victim of gender-based violence after her father damaged both of her eyes for marrying a man whom he did not approve.
The victim had both of her eyes pierced by her father, Mr. Angelo Agany, who claims that he was annoyed by the decision of the18-year-old girl to marry another man contrary to his wish.
The father, who has since been arrested, said he committed the act as a lesson so that his daughter “would never see men again”.
The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) recently reported that more than 10 girls are forced into marriage every week in South Sudan.