A young woman from Bor, South Sudan, has sparked debate after speaking out against a traditional marriage practice that has existed in some South Sudanese communities for generations.
The woman reportedly warned her parents against supporting a marriage arrangement that goes against her wishes. She made her position clear, raising questions about the role of parents and traditional customs in choosing marriage partners.
Her remarks have brought renewed attention to the debate surrounding arranged and forced marriages in South Sudan, where family expectations and traditional practices continue to influence marriage decisions.
In some communities, parents and relatives play a major role in identifying potential marriage partners for their daughters. Families may also negotiate bride prices, commonly paid in cattle, money or other valuable gifts by the groom's family.
Although bride price is an important cultural practice, concerns have been raised over situations where financial benefits influence parents to push their daughters into marriages they do not want.
A 2017 report by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan documented concerns raised by women in Bor over early and forced marriages. Participants at a women's leadership forum said some families married off their daughters because they depended on bride price to meet their financial needs.
The women called for better education opportunities, saying girls should be allowed to complete their studies before making decisions about marriage.
Human Rights Watch has also documented cases in which young South Sudanese women were forced to marry men chosen by their families, sometimes because the men offered large numbers of cattle as bride price.
The issue has remained controversial, with some people defending traditional marriage customs as part of their cultural identity while others argue that such practices should not deny women the freedom to choose their partners.
South Sudan's Transitional Constitution recognises that marriage should only take place with the free and full consent of both parties.
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