Ekeomah Atuonwu
In South Sudan, some young girls are still auctioned off into marriage for cows, one of the social issues that campaigners intended to highlight during Pope Francis’ now-cancelled visit.
A daughter is often purchased for 50 to 100 cows, each valued up to $1,000, through negotiations between her father and prospective husband. A girl regarded as attractive, fruitful, and of high social standing can bring up to 200 cows. A girl in a high-profile case a few years ago was auctioned off for 520 cows and vehicles.
“The younger the girl marries, the more the family gets cattle in return,” said Jackline Nasiwa, executive director of the Center of Inclusive Governance, Peace and Justice in South Sudan’s capital, Juba.
“They sell their daughters so that they get something to survive.”
Though South Sudanese law prohibits marriage for persons under the age of 18, it is seldom enforced, especially in rural regions.
According to the United Nations, South Sudan has the world’s fifth-highest frequency of child marriage, which is a violation of human rights, a major hindrance to literacy, and a major cause of persistent poverty.
According to UNICEF, one-third of all females in the nation become pregnant before the age of 15. South Sudanese females have battled back against all obstacles.
The United Nations Population Fund has said South Sudan is one of the riskiest places to be a mother. Mothers die in 1,150 out of 100,000 live births, one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world.
The United Nations wants child marriage to be abolished worldwide by 2030. However, impoverished families in South Sudan regard underage marriage regulations as preventing them from benefitting from their daughters and endangering their own existence.
According to UNICEF and Plan International, only approximately 10% of South Sudanese females complete elementary education due to issues such as conflict and cultural attitudes.
According to experts, some families are concerned that sending daughters to school exposes them to hazards like as sexual assault, which might reduce their worth when time comes to search for marriage proposals. Despite this, researchers believe that early marriage exposes females to domestic violence, including rape.
Authorities have a long way to go to change such attitudes, said Aya Benjamin, South Sudan’s minister of gender, child and social welfare, who as a girl watched some of her friends get married off.
