The Double Oppression of Women in South Sudan

Every single day that goes by, I am left baffled by the disturbing and horrifying documentaries on girls's and women's fate around the globe. South Sudan, the world's youngest nation became independent from the Arab's political rule on July 9th, 2011 yet, nothing has changed. During the civil war that lasted for more than two decades, women and girls were beaten, rapped and even burned to death. When the comprehensive peace agreement was signed by the warring parties in 2005, there was hope in the faces of it's citizens. It was more like starting from the basics but to date, the situation is even worse. Backed by the heavy presence and pressure from the international women's human rights conventions, the destiny of women appeared to be at center of the country's development plans,however, the deeply rooted cultural values continue to shutter the dreams of many.

In South Sudan, there is conflict everywhere. At home, in the community and at the political level. Women and girls have no place and they have no voice. The illiteracy level of women is almost eighty two percent compared to other countries. Women are not valued per se. They are not allowed to own any property and they do not participate in decision making. Narrating my own experience as a child back then in the refugee camp in Congo, so many unspoken and demeaning things happened to my mother. The emotional and physical tortures that she went through and how powerless she felt in responding the my father's ill treatments. I watched her prayed helplessly and  silently at night as tears rolled down her beautiful face. I never really understood anything much then but I hated my father for causing her so much heartaches. Today when I think of all those terrible things that she went through, I ask the  question of what next? Change has come but the status of women remains the same over time.

With the birth of the Republic of South Sudan, a lot of challenges continue to surface and one of them is child marriage. While many countries in the world today advocate for girl-child education, watching this youtube video on Child Marriage: South Sudan leaves me in dismay, trying to coincide with the  plights and traumas that these girls are exposed to at a very tender age. Many would  disagree  but the  true of the matter is that child marriage is practiced almost everywhere around the world.  Be it in Yemen,  Bangladesh, Tanzania, Malawi etc yet, very little effort is being made to put an end to it. South Sudan is counted to be one of the countries where the rate of child marriage is very high. This is evident with the number of girls, between the age of 15-19 years old,  are being married off in exchange for cows or other monetary values based on different values and customs within the country.

As I watched this documentary throughout to the end, the question that ponders on my mind is that "how can they then trust the very people they call their parents"? These young girls fear and cry at the very hands of the people who are supposed to protect their innocence. Teach them good morals and prepare them to face the world without fear. Unfortunately, these girls are threaten to death by the  same so called parents and uncles who insist that the girl must soothe or otherwise be subjected to severe beatings. Let's face it  from a gendered perspective view. We need to ask ourselves and come up with a ideas to help  advocate against this improbable behavior facing girls.

In 2010, a bill was passed to help fight against child marriage. My argument is that child marriage should be considered a human rights atrocity that steals the future, health and lives  of  girls and boys in many developing countries. We cannot talk about development while ignoring to pin point some of the critical issues that are detrimental to a country's progress. I strongly use South Sudan as a good  example here because girls are treated like chunks of commodities and sold for a very little amount of money to an older men. Speaking from a person point of view, I call on all the women's international  organizations and committees at large, to help fight against this illicit practices. As they say the truth is best told by the very people, one of the reasons why I want to focus more on gender and women's studies is to be the voice that will one day  bring change to the lives of the minority women around the world, and in South Sudan in particular. The girls and women are helpless and in desperate need. Therefore, I would  arrest my case by arguing that,  there is a  strong need to raise awareness, create laws that ban child marriage and punish culprits of domestic violence. South Sudanese women have been exposed to both sides life and to similar  problems facing women in the world today, and they continue to struggle until a solution is reached.