Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The speaker of the Reconstituted Transitional National Legislative Assembly (RTNLA), Jemma Nunu Kumba, has promised to defend the plight of young and vulnerable girls in the lawmaking arm of the government.
“I will try my best to represent them because if I don’t perform well, then it will ruin their chances in the future for anybody to consider women for positions,” Nunu said.
She was speaking during a talk show aired by Eye Radio on Monday.
Nunu promised to meet the girls’ and women’s expectations to protect the former against early marriages.
“I will avail myself to provide guidance to the young girls and encourage them to be serious about school and for them to stop early marriages and concentrate on their education,” Kumba said.
She promised to work closely with all institutions, particularly non-governmental organisations and churches, to support girl child education.
“We need to make sure that the policies and laws we have are in support of gender and women’s empowerment,” she emphasised
According to UNICEF’s report released in October 2020, 52 per cent of all girls in South Sudan are married before 18 years of age, depriving them of their basic rights and for some, even their lives.
UNICEF’s report highlighted how child marriage can damage girls’ education, development, and, in the end, their future.
Child marriage often leads to early pregnancies. About one-third of all girls in South Sudan fall pregnant before turning 15.
“Child marriage is deeply rooted in gender inequality and harmful social norms. South Sudan is one of the countries with deeply entrenched cultural practices and social norms linked to gender. Child marriage is further fueled by poverty.
‘‘Girls are married off early for the family to collect dowry. Low levels of education and a lack of knowledge about the harm caused by early marriage further exacerbate the situation, ” UNICEF states in the report.
For More News And Analysis About South-Sudan Follow Africa-Press
