20-year-old Girl Killed For Disobeying Family

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I thought Africa was civilized until I came across heartbreaking news of a young girl, full of life, yet to accomplish her dreams, was killed for refusing to marry a suitor he family had chosen for her.

Then, it hit me that primitive culture which hides crime in cultural practices still exists. A culture that promotes gender violence. Here is what transpired.

Image result for south sudan girls
South sudan women

A 20-year-old girl was on April 29, 2019, killed in South Sudan (Africa) for refusing to marry a man her family had selected for her.

Joan Nyanyuki, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East Africa, the Horn and Great Lakes Region, said:

“Forcing someone to marry against their will is a clear violation of South Sudan’s own constitution as well as its international human rights obligations.

“The marriage and killing are not only illegal, but also inhumane. We call on the government to immediately hold the responsible individuals to account.

“The patriarchal practice of forcing young girls and women to marry is a cruel manifestation of the large inequality between men and women in South Sudan. Rather than being resourceful and inspirational leaders and members of society, women and girls are treated as communal commodities.” Joan continued

In South Sudan, young ladies are forcefully married to people they don’t know, for dowry. Some of them are married while under the age of 18. UNICEF reports that 52% of South Sudanese girls are married before they attain 18 years.

Amnesty is calling on the government of South Sudan to take urgent steps to end early, forced and child marriage and to ensure that individuals practicing this primitive culture are brought to book because they violate the law. Women and girls’ rights must be protected.

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