Women and Children 

Women in South Sudan constitute more than 60% of the population. They suffer many forms of discrimination in social, economic and political fields simply because they are women. Underdevelopment, poverty and a host of other harmful customs and traditions further exacerbate the plight of women. In South Sudan, the status of women is dire in many different ways. Women are often used as objects during warfare; as a result, they suffer many types of abuses like sexual assault, rape, domestic violence and the continuous violation of their personhood and space. In relation, the children suffer a lot due to the turmoil the women in their family are facing, especially their mothers. South Sudanese children by culture are mostly taken care of by their mothers in a traditional setting. As a result, when a woman faces hardship, the children suffer her predicament. The South Sudanese woman in contemporary times in South Sudan faces many barriers in politics, economics, healthcare and education, to name a few.  

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According to UN Women, in February 2021, it was stated that South Sudanese women held 28.5% of seats in parliament. It's a lot less than the 35% that the government initially promised in the current revitalized agreement in South Sudan. The South Sudanese woman has faced much maltreatment politically, socially, economically, and societally due to many years of suppression and alienation in her national affairs. It is stated that 51.5% of women aged 20 to 24 years old became married before turning 18. That is a massive loss to our nation. Early childhood marriage cuts our national potential by a significant amount. Instead of going to school and becoming all a young girl could desire to be, her life is cut short by these practices of child marriages stemming from our colonial wounds and intergenerational traumas.

A young mother who's not educated and has no idea about how to access information to help her and her children ends up repeating the same cycle. During their reproduction age, they don't have sex education to access birth control and control the narrative around their reproductive health; as a result, this lack of knowledge and access to vital information becomes a barrier. As a result, our nation doesn't have comprehensive family planning services available when it's needed. The fate of the child is connected to the future of their mother in South Sudan. The better educated and well-informed the mother is, the better the child is in most cases. What the mother suffers or the woman in the family suffers will undoubtedly impact the children.

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In conclusion, South Sudanese women face many issues in many different sectors of society, reflecting poorly on our nation. Our women impact the whole community, and they are inclusive, and their pain and suffering will affect all of us. As we advance, we need to pressure the government to ensure gender equality and take positive measures for women's complete emancipation, development, and empowerment. Establish a Women Enterprise Development Fund to provide subsidized credit for women-based enterprise development; capacity building of women entrepreneurs, women-oriented enterprises and others. Ensure that women are protected against violence, harmful customs and traditions which undermine their dignity and status, and pursue positive development of women at all levels.