Women in South Sudan are women who live in and are from South Sudan. Since the Independence of South Sudan on 9 July 2011, these women have gained more power but still face issues of inequality. Many women in this area do not have adequate access to health resources and education. While these women often face inequality, there has been progress since South Sudan's official declaration of independence. In recent years, this inequality has gained national attention and people have become more interested in the issue of child marriage that this area faces. Along with this, there has started to be a focus on the very high level of maternal mortality in South Sudan. With a maternal mortality rate of 789 deaths per 100,000 live births, South Sudan has one of the highest rates in the world.
Demographics Currently the total population in South Sudan is 12,919,053. In recent years, the population of males has surpassed the population of females. In 2018, the population for females was 6,444,329 and the population for males was 6,474,720. Women in South Sudan make up around 42 percent of the country's total population. They are a smaller population when compared to the male population. +Total Population by sex YearFemaleMale20003,337,6683,362,99820054,045,7984,063,07220105,032,2515,034,94520155,950,0695,932,05820206,824,2536,785,749
Impact on conflict Since gaining independence in 2011, South Sudan has faced ongoing conflict that has severely impacted women. The war has deepened gender inequalities and created new challenges for women across society. Many face increased violence, displacement, and poverty. Women are especially affected politically, socially, and economically. This section will, therefore, portray how the conflict has shaped their experiences in these areas.
One of the most devastating impact South Sudan's conflict on women and girls is the rise in gender-based violence. According to claim that violence against women especially sexual violence has become a common and accepted result of the war. Apart from armed organizations, women and girls are vulnerable in their own homes and communities because structures supposed to safeguard them are either lacking or inadequate. Families living in extreme poverty often employ forced marriage, rape, and sexual exploitation as weapons of war or as survival tactics. Additionally, the lack of justice worsens these horrific events and many survivors are left without protection, mental health care, or legal action. Studies reveal that poor institutional reactions, fear of retribution society shame continue to underreport events of sexual violence. Moreover, sexual assault has been deliberately utilized strategically throughout conflict, both as a tactic of dominance and as a result of ingrained militaristic patriarchy, therefore making it even more difficult for survivors to seek justice.
Beyond gender-based violence, the current conflict has compromised women's legal rights and access to justice. Formal and customary legal systems of South Sudan sometimes fail to hold offenders responsible since many women are discouraged from reporting abuse because of stigma, fear of reprisals, or mistrust of authorities. These institutional shortcomings support a more general culture of impunity that silences victims and accepts violence. Even when legal structures exist, enforcement is weak, and customary practices often override formal protections, reinforcing gender inequality at the community level.
Many of the women affected by the conflict are displaced and fight to find livelihoods, therefore aggravating their poverty. In Rumbek, women's income-generating initiatives have been hindered by instability, cultural limitations, and lack of support, therefore increasing their vulnerability to economic exploitation. Often, this financial uncertainty affects women's access to safe housing, healthcare, and education. A report by further emphasizes that displacement has pushed women into informal labor sectors, exposing them to exploitation and harsh working conditions without social protection. Moreover, the prolonged instability has diminished the effectiveness of women's empowerment programs designed to provide occupational and life skills, as conflict undermines safe environments needed for such programs to succeed Furthermore, many women have become main caretakers for extended families in crowded and underfunded environments as social systems fall apart, further adding to their emotional and physical load.
Notwithstanding these obstacles, South Sudanese women have remained very important in promoting societal cohesiveness and peace. By means of grassroots initiatives and community organizing, they have fostered healing, inclusion, and encouragement of other women impacted by the war. Though usually left out of official political venues, South Sudanese women lead front-stage in efforts at peacebuilding and reconstruction all over their nation. Through collective action, they continue to demand greater representation in formal peace negotiations and advocate for gender-sensitive rebuilding efforts that recognize women's unique experiences during conflict.
Militarization and traditional bridewealth practices have also played significant roles in exacerbating women's vulnerabilities during the conflict. Viewing women and girls as property rather than rights-holding individuals, military civilizations that develop during civil wars often reinforce patriarchal norms as states. Particularly during times of economic crisis and conflict, bridewealth customs where young girls are married off for financial benefit have endured and grown more common. These customs not only uphold early and forced marriages but also help to normalize women's treatment as commodities during political unrest.
Above all, the conflict in South Sudan has drastically affected women's life, therefore perpetuating trends of violence, inequality, and marginalization all throughout society. From gender-based violence and legal injustice to economic hardship, educational disruption, and militaristic cultural customs, women have carried a disproportionate part of the effect of the war. Still, South Sudanese women have showed great resiliency and leadership. By means of grassroots peacebuilding initiatives, advocacy for rights, and community mobilization, they remain indispensable in aiming for a more fair and peaceful future. Not only will South Sudan's recovery depend on addressing the issues confronting women, but also on creating a society that upholds the rights of every one of its people.
Health and education Throughout South Sudan, many women lack the ability and opportunity for education and health resources. According to the World Bank, 51% of the population in South Sudan is living under the poverty line. In turn, many women in South Sudan are not provided the opportunity to go to school so they can stay at home and help their families and as a result are illiterate. Steps have been taken to allow more children to go to school, such as South Sudan's Ministry of Education, Science and Technology creating an education system for girls. While the steps taken by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology have created an increase in school attendance, there are still a number of children, especially girls, who are unable to attend school due to their family's inability to send them. According to the 2006 Household Health Survey, 46% of women with no education are married before age 18. Many of these women are married off rather than attending school and becoming educated.
Illiteracy and limited education also tie into women in South Sudan's inability to protect themselves from sexually transmitted infections. Only 3% of women without formal education and 2% of women from the poorest area use a form of contraception, compared to the 22% of the wealthiest area. The lack of education of women in this area ties directly into their health. Less than half of the women in South Sudan have heard of HIV/AIDS and well over 50% of women are unaware of ways to prevent the disease. Also, many women and girls have to drop out of school to be married and are therefore not given the opportunity to learn.
According to the 2006 Sudan Household Survey, a mother's level of education plays a role on the child's weight. 35% of children from mothers with no formal education were underweight, whereas only 19% of children from mothers with secondary level education were underweight. The survey also found that on average 14% of children in South Sudan are severely underweight. The mean percent of children from South Sudan who are severely stunted is 18%.
Additionally, girls' access to education across South Sudan is the conflict. Widespread insecurity, displacement, and the prioritizing of immediate survival requirements cause education for females to be either completely stopped or interrupted. Programs meant to empower teenage girls through life skills and vocational training have had little success in conflict-torn regions, according to, since instability compromises ongoing involvement and safety. Early marriage, motivated by poverty and uncertainty, lowers even more the likelihood of girls continuing their education. Lack of educational chances not only limits girls' personal growth but also reduces their future political involvement and financial independence.This therefore raises the urgent need for greater assistance and empowerment initiatives for women and girls in South Sudan.
Marriage and childbirth Forced marriage and child marriages are very common for women in South Sudan and affect most women in the area. Child marriages are often used as a way for families to recover lost economic resources. Because a woman's family receives a bride price from the husband of their daughter, parents are interested in having their daughters married off at a very early age to whoever offers the most. This bride price is also the reason for why so few women get divorced in South Sudan. If there is a divorce, the family of the wife has to repay the family of the husband the bride price that was originally given for the marriage. Another reason for marrying daughters young is the fear of pregnancy out of wedlock. This causes dishonor for the family and as a result the hope is to marry a daughter before she has this chance. While there are law that prevent child marriages, the government does little to enforce them, so people often do not abide by them.
The belief in this culture is that men control family and political power and women are meant to follow their orders. A woman's role is to give her husband children and these women face pressure from their husband's family members to bear as many children as possible. Pregnancies from child marriages also result in more birth complications than marriages with older women. Many women in South Sudan lack the resources and medical care that they need during their pregnancies, so if there are complications the women may not be saved. As a result, South Sudan has one of the highest maternal death rates following and during pregnancy with a ratio of 789 deaths per 100,000 live births.Green, A. (2016). Frontline: Helping women deliver in south sudan. The Lancet, 388(10057), 2226. Because of the lack of contraception use and the fact that women are expected to have as many children as possible, this number does not waver much. A major complication faced by women in South Sudan is obstetric fistula. Approximately 5,000 women in South Sudan have obstetric fistula every year. Fistula is most common in areas where there are not medical resources. This often results in the loss of the child as well as the rejection of the woman by her husband and others.
Involvement in government