The rights of young girls in Torit are not respected as the practice of child marriage has taken over the communities. Most parents view their daughters as business commodities waiting to be sold off to the highest buyer.
According to local chief Livingston Otim of Fodofodo in Torit town, child marriages are common among communities in Torit, although many of the cases are not reported.
And some of the girls are even below the age of 15.
‘Cases of child marriage are happening mostly to tribes marrying with cattle’s. These communities are marrying off under aged girls not women. You see 15, 16 and even 14 year old girls getting married with cattle’s. This is more prevalent in the villages. It is still on going with no respect for education”, Otim stressed.
Elizabeth Ihari George a female activist says most parents force their daughters to marry because of the need for wealth, usually in the form of cattle. She calls for more awareness on the dangers of child marriage.
‘It is happening because of ignorance and also some parents want to get rich. That’s why they force their daughters to get married earlier. We should not encourage that to happen to our girls. We need to tell them to allow their kids to be in school until they matured to be married to the husband of their choice’, he added.
The paramount chief of Torit County Eneriko Jacob Ogworo tells the public to report cases of child marriage to the concerned authorities. Jacob says County courts prohibit underage marriages. And the practice is damaging to a girl’s mental and physical health.
‘It is very important to report because if we leave them like that, it will continue. Sometimes girls have to be operated on during delivery because they are not matured to be pregnant. These are the reasons why we should stop girls from getting married”.
School girls in Torit are also adding their voices to the debate because they are the primary ones affected by underage marriage.
Viola Kejilee James is a 16-year-old girl attending Torit Day Secondary School. She calls on parents to give equal opportunity to girls to be educated. And says girl child education is South Sudan’s country’s future pride.
‘Parents listen, it is better to educate us girls because we are the future leaders of this country. When you educate a girl child you educate the whole nation because girl child education brings pride to the country. Therefore parents don’t force your under aged girls to get married, it is not good for this Country’.
Torit state Governor Tobiolo Alberio Oromo says sending young girls into early marriage is a destructive process.
And he directs law enforcers like the police to bring perpetrators of child marriage to justice.
‘Child marriage is a destruction to the future of our children. You see children of 15 or 17 years married off. Yes we must punish them, we should stop the ceremony and send the girl back to school. There will be no future if we continue to send the girls to early marriage”.
Governor Alberio says he will use his position to influence the parliament to raise a motion to discuss laws to end child marriage in the state.
Two months ago, a 17-year-old girl was the center of discussion on social media after she was married for 500 cows and some cars to a prominent man. Amongst the contesting suitors was a key government official. Some say its’ part of the country’s culture and tradition. But activists calls it bride auctioning.
According to part two of ‘South Sudan transitional Constitution 2011, article 15 says every child of marriageable age shall have the right to marry a person of the opposite sex and find a family according to their wish. It also says no marriage shall be entered into without the free and full consent of the man and woman intending to go into it’.
However, the constitution did not clarify the official legal age for marriage in South Sudan, an issue activists think should be clarified to protect girls from being married off.
This story is produced with support from Journalists for Human Rights strengthening media in South Sudan.