Sincethereferendumthatpassedin2011allowingSouthSudantogainitsindependencefrom

Sudan,thesituationinthecountryhasbeenfarfrompleasant.WithmorethanhalfofSouth
Sudanesefemalesbeingwedbeforetheir18thbirthdaySouthSudanislistedseventhinthe
highestnumberofchildmarriagesintheworld.
ElieSmith,afreelancejournalistwhohasinterviewedmanypoliticalleadersinSouthSudan
says,thenumberofchildbridesissohighinSouthSudanbecauseofthecountrysinstability,
lackofknowledgeandlackofpropercoverage.
Smithexplainshowthemostappropriateformofmediuminthecountryisradioandthatthrough
it;newsstationsareabletospeakonimportantissues.Journalistsneedtoinformthepopulation
onthedangerofearlymarriage,hesays.
Hecontinuestoexplainhowthisisdifficultbecausenotonlydogovernmentofficialsmonitor
newshousestomakesurethecontentbeingsharedistotheirlikingbutbecausesometimes
peopleknowtherepercussionbutduetopovertysomeaccepttheunacceptableandcontinue
thepioneertraditionofearlymarriages.
DuaaYusuf,aUniversityofWaterloostudentwhowasborninSudan,saysthegirlsdonthave
asay,neitherintheirfamiliesorintherelationshipstheyreforcedinto.
Marryingfemalesoffyoungisalsoanotherwayfamiliestryandprotecttheirfemalesfrompre
martialsexandpregnancy.Ifthefemaleisnotavirginbeforemarriage,herworthdecreasesthat
meansalesserformofdowryisgivenatthetimeofhermarriage.Thisalsoaffectsthefamily
honour.
Inadditiontothis,parentsareoftenputintotoughsituationswheretheyfeelasiftradingofftheir
daughterforresourcessuchascattleormoneywilllightentheirfinancialburden,itisseenasa
quickwaytoimproveoneseconomicstatus.
Itsbasicallysellingyourchild,statesYusuf.
TheSouthSudaneseculturalispatriarchal.Thegenderrolesareveryprominent.
Themenofthehouseholddecidewhereandwhenthechildwillbewediftheyounggirls
disagreethentheyareoftenseverelybeatenorkilled.Andiftheyounggirlsdoagree,thatdoes
notmeanthattheyaresafefromharm.SouthSudanesefemaleshavenoplacetoturntowhenit
comestoabusiverelationshipsandhusbands.
Becauseearlymarriagelimitsyoungmarriedgirlsknowledgeandskills,resources,social
supportnetworks,mobilityandautonomy,theyoftenhavelittlepowerinrelationtotheir
husbandorhisfamily,explainsareportbytheHumanRightsWatch.
Girlsinabusiverelationshipsaretoldtostaywiththeirhusbandsandaremanipulatedtobelieve
thatthisformofviolenceisverycommon.Femalesareoftenalsotoldthattheabuseisoccurring
becausetheyarentdoingtheirjobasahousewifeproperly.TheyounggirlsinSouthSudanhave
noonetoturntoforhelpbutifafemaledoesrunaway,inmostcases,shehasnowheretoseek
refugeeither.Thegovernmentdoesnotprovidesuitablehousingforgirlsfleeingfromforcedor

abusivemarriages.Therehavebeencaseswherefemaleshavebeenputintoprisonforrunning
awayfromtheirhusbands(ThisOldManCanFeedUs,YouWillMarryHim2013).
Eveniftherelationshipthefemaleisforcedintoisnotabusiveshestillfaceschancesofdeath.
AccordingtoUNICEF,SouthSudanhasoneofthehighestmaternalmortalityratesintheworld.
Manyhealthstudiesshowthatyounggirlsfacegreatrisks,includingdeath,whenitcomesto
childbirthandpregnancybecauseoftheirunderdevelopedbodies.Inadditiontothis,because
prenatalandpostnatalhealthservicesinSouthSudanarelimited,femalesdonotreceivethekind
ofmedicalattentiontheyrequireduringdelivery.
Atthemoment,theSouthSudanesegovernmenthasputforthprogrammesandpoliciestotackle
thisproblem.ThegovernmenthasintroducedtheChildActof2008thatprotectschildrenunder
theageof18fromforced/earlymarriageandgiveschildrentherighttoeducation,health,non
discrimination,life,survivalanddevelopment,anopinion,andprotectionfromtorture,degrading
treatment,andabuse,thegovernmenthasalsocriminalizedkidnappingorabductingawomanto
compelhertogetmarriedandintroducedanAlternativeEducationSystemforthosewhoare
unabletoattendaformalschooling.Thisprogramisidealforpregnantfemalesandolderwomen
whowanttoeithercontinuetotheireducationorstartone.
Thoughthegovernmentofthisnationisputtingforthopportunitiesforfemalestryingtoseekan
education,itisstillarareoccurrenceforafemaletobelearned.
Iwasengagedattheageof14andthoughthisislateforsome,itchangedhowIviewedmyself
andmyeducation,explainsShaaziaMuzafir,a23yearoldSouthSudanesewomenwhonow
liveswithrelativesinHamilton,Ontario.
Muzafirexplainsthatthoughshestudiedmorethantheaveragefemale,hereducationwasstill
putsecondtoherrelationship.Shewasconstantlyremindedthathereducationwasofnovalue
andthatbookswerenotgoingtohelpherlaterinlife.Youneedtohelpyourfamily,shewas
told.Andtheonlywaytheythoughtthiswaspossiblewasthroughthedowrytheywouldreceive
afterhermarriage.
Shewasforcedtogiveupschoolingbutafterthedeathofherhusbandshewasabletomoveto
Canadawiththehelpofrelatives.
Sheisnowworkingtowardscompletingherhighschoolcredits.
AccordingtostatisticsprovidedbyGirlsNotBrides,in2013,amere39percentofprimaryschool
studentsand30percentofsecondaryschoolstudentsinSouthSudanwerefemaleseventhough
PresidentSalvaKiirhasmentionedtheimportanceofallfemalesattendingschoolonmany
occasions.
Somefemalesaretakenoutofschoolsafterthreeorfouryearsofprimaryeducationastage
whentheycanbarelyreadorwrite,leavingthemilliterateandunabletosupportthemselvesifthe
situationrequires.Becausethemajorityofthepopulationisuneducated,theyareunabletoattain
otherjobsandrelyondowryfortheirlivelihood.

IcannotgetworktosupportmychildrenandIseegirlswhohavesomeeducationcangetjobs.
Educationisimportantforwomen,explainsMary,a24yearoldwhowasforcedintomarriage
attheageof16inSudan.
TheinterviewwithMarywasconductedwithIPSNewsAgencyin2013.
Thoughfemalesarerealizingtheirpotentialandtheflawsinthesystem,itsanopenquestionif
thiswillsparkachangeintheSouthSudanesecultural.Thelackofeducationandthelackof
opportunitiesforfemalesinthecountrynotonlyaffectthegirlspersonally,butitalsoaffectsthe
economy,thecommunityandthefuturegenerations.OncethepopulationofSouthSudan
understandsthis,onlythencanprogressbemade.