Saturday, 31 August 2024
Author: Emmanuel A. A. Ubiu
Country: South Sudan.
Source: Young South Sudanese girls attend go Girls ICT Initiative seminar (goGirls ICT Initiative LinkedIn page)
SUMMARY
This article discusses how cultural norms in South Sudan influence the enrollment of girls and women at various educational institutions. Such cultural practices are exemplified as follows:
(i) early marriages, (ii) forced marriages, (iii) abduction of girls, (iv) 'booking' girls for marriages, and the most widespread issue across all South Sudanese communities: (v) social stigma surrounding girls' education. It also highlights change makers like Miss Yine Yinke, Co-founder of go Girls ICT Initiative, who are transforming the narrative. The discussion focuses on how she is championing these challenges in her own capacity as a leader in the patriarchal STEM landscape of South Sudan.
BACKGROUND
Cultural norms and values play a significant role in influencing and shaping people's attitudes and behaviors, yet they are often underestimated. This influence is pervasive, affecting everything from how individuals greet one another, to their choices in clothing and celebrations, and even their views on education. These cultural norms and values in the South Sudanese society are transmitted through conformity, internalization, and socialization. The following sections will elaborate more on them.
Conformity
Conformity basically means behaving in accordance with socially accepted conventions. This is one of the biggest factors affecting the motivation of school going girls. In some cases, girls are even expected to do daily house chores — such as washing dishes, preparing breakfast for the family, cleaning the house every morning — before heading to school. This act of subjecting girls to heavy house chores is highly practiced in the majority of households in South Sudan.
Internalization
This refers to the action of accepting or absorbing an idea, opinion, and belief so that it becomes part of one's character. Research suggests that both men and women in South Sudan internalize social norms encouraging Sexual and Gender Based Violence, fostering a culture where such practices are encouraged.
Socialization
The process of learning to behave in a way that is acceptable to society usually by mixing with others. This usually culminates in peer pressure. In 2018, Nyalong, a teenager was married with exorbitant dowries. Again, in the case of Athiak Dau Riak, a 19-year-old South Sudanese girl, whose marriage received both national and international publicity due to the substantial dowries proposed by her suitors. This underscores how cultural socialization practices encourage the prioritization of marriage over education.
The excessive focus on bride prices, as revealed by a recent study carried out by Conflict Sensitivity Resource Facility, further entrenches these cultural norms. These cultural norms often lead to a diminished motivation for schoolgirls to continue education. There is a growing mind-set across many societies that the younger the girl, the higher the bride price. This leads to many girls' love for education overshadowed by such societal expectations.
Cultural factors pressuring women to remain uneducated in South Sudan
(i) Early marriages
Just by delving into recent research carried out about child marriage cases in South Sudan, we are surprised by overwhelming statistics — like 52% of girls are married before turning 18, and 28% of those who marry as children become pregnant before reaching adulthood. “I was in primary seven when my parents forced me to marry,” says 15-year-old Adut, a mother of one.
Taking into account the case study of Adut, we can already foresee the kind of future that awaits her—a future devoid of education. This is true unless serious necessary steps are taken for example, re-enrolling her in school through programs that support teenage mothers' education.
(ii) Forced marriages
In South Sudan, 10 girls every week are subjected to forced marriages. Refusal can result in abuse, exclusion from society, and even imprisonment. For instance, Akuot Agany Kut, a teenage girl whose eyes were gouged out by her own father just because of her refusal to an organized marriage. She now lives as a blind person currently enrolled in the school of the blind in Juba, South Sudan.
(iii) Abduction of girls
A case of Nyalang Aru, whose age was estimated to be 10, was abducted with her younger sister. She didn’t even know her own age, but it was estimated by a child protection officer. After her abduction, she was surrendered to the local chief by her abductor who feared marrying her due to her young age. The chief later took her to the UNICEF shelter, where she stayed receiving psycho-social assistance while awaiting her reunification with her mother. This is just an example of home young girls are forced to remain uneducated in some rural parts in South Sudan.
(iv) “Booking” girls for marriages
There has also been excessive booking of girls as young as eight for marriage often contributing to cases of forced marriages. Case in point: many young girls are reserved for potential marriage suitors without their knowledge. So, when they grow up, they are usually shocked to find out they had been booked by someone they might not love. This causes anxiety, depression and other psychological turmoil that greatly affect girls' morale to stay in schools. This contributes to the rise of uneducated girls in South Sudan.
(v) Social stigma surrounding girls' education
Stigma in South Sudan comes in all forms of size and shape from perceptions that education delays marriage, to superstitious religious beliefs that demonize educated women. This stigma is subjective to cultures but is mostly still practiced in rural areas of South Sudan.
Yine Yinke: Leading Community Transformation
Despite the barriers mentioned above, there is always light at the end of the tunnel. There is always hope that brings out the humanity in people. In this case, it is Yine Yinke, one individual acting as a beacon of hope to women in South Sudan. She, through her Non-profit organization known as goGirls ICT Initiative, has helped to contribute enormously to the transformation efforts of girls’ education in South Sudan. She developed multiple projects targeting to inspire young girls to stay in school, offering career guide to young high school girls, and providing ICT training to young girls to help spark their enthusiasms in technology and education.
REFERENCES
Eye Radio (2024), Youth activists call for reduction in bride price, https://www.eyeradio.org/youth-activists-call-for-reduction-in-bride-price/#:~:text=A%20recent%20study%20by%20Conflict,dollars%20per%20head%20of%20cattle.
Light for the world (2023), Inclusive education in South Sudan, https://www.light-for-the-world.org/news/inclusive-education-in-south-sudan-education-in-emergencies/.
UNICEF South Sudan (2023), Ending child marriage should not be a choice but a necessity, https://www.unicef.org/southsudan/stories/ending-child-marriage-should-not-be-choice-necessity.
Eye radio (2023), Akuot: “He asked whether to slit my throat or pierce my eyes”, https://www.eyeradio.org/akuot-he-asked-whether-to-slit-my-throat-or-pierce-my-eyes/.
UNICEF (2023), I want to go home, https://www.unicef.org/southsudan/stories/i-want-go-home.
World Vision (2022), Child Marriage and the Hunger Crisis in South Sudan: A Case Study, https://www.wvi.org/publications/case-study/hunger-crisis/child-marriage-and-hunger-crisis-south-sudan-case-study.
IOM (2019), Gender-Based Violence Knowledge, Attitudes and practices survey in South Sudan, https://publications.iom.int/system/files/pdf/south-sudan-gender-based-kap.pdf.
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