Richard Ruati, the communication officer of UNICEF in South Sudan speaking to Eye Radio during a talk show on Monday December 13, 2021 - credit | Lou Nelson/Eye Radio

The UN children’s agency, UNICEF has called for an end to child marriage in the country.

Recently, the government and partners found at least 38 cases of child marriage registered in Northern Bhar El Ghazal alone.

Last year, it said in South Sudan, 52 per cent of girls are married before 18 years of age, depriving them of their basic rights and for some, even losing their lives.

The report indicates that about 1/3 of all girls in South Sudan are pregnant before turning 15.

South Sudan’s Gender Ministry says only 6.2% of girls in South Sudan complete primary school, with one out of five dropping out of secondary school due to pregnancy.

South Sudan is one of the countries with deeply entrenched cultural practices and social norms linked to gender.

Child marriage is fueled by poverty. Girls are married off early for the family to collect dowry.

Low levels of education and lack of knowledge about the harm caused by early marriage further exacerbates the situation.

Low levels of education and lack of knowledge about the harm caused by early marriage further exacerbates the situation.

Richard Ruati, the communication officer of UNICEF in South Sudan called on government, community leaders and parent to protect children from early child marriage.

“This is the worst crime against children in this country and we are calling upon all the stakeholders, the government, partners, communities and parents to abandon the issue of marrying children when they are still at the tender age,” Ruati told Eye Radio’s Dawn show.

“We are degrading their growth, when women are dropping out of school their body is not ready for pregnancy. The child of 13 or 10 years is not ready to conceive a baby for 9 months and even if they deliver the baby, they don’t have the mindset to take care of the baby.

“We are also advocating against the breastfeeding of children, can a child of 13 years really vividly breastfeed a child exclusively the way we promote at UNICEF, of course they do not because they don’t have the knowledge to do that.”

According to a report by the UN children’s agency, UNICEF, more than 650 million women alive today were married off before the age of 18.

In South Sudan, 58% of girls are married before 18 years of age, depriving them of their basic rights as children.

To tackle this, the government together with other partners are working to implement the strategic National Action plan to end child marriage by 2030.