God created a man and a woman, who become husband and wife through various forms, such as white weddings in the church, customary marriages and “trial marriages”.
Marriage serves as a foundation for two adults to build their family, raise children, and provide a stable and supportive environment for them to grow.
It contributes to social stability by fostering networks of relationships between families from different tribes. In the 1980s, marriage was widely respected; once a man and a woman were married, mutual respect was assured, especially between the couple themselves, who believed in nurturing their family without conflict.
However, today we witness a troubling trend of immorality, where married men disrespect their wives, engage in fights and insults, and introduce diseases such as HIV/AIDS and STDs into the home.
Some married men disgrace their wives by going out to discos and inviting girlfriends into their lives, disrupting marriages and leading to break-ups, often leaving women to raise children under difficult circumstances, which hinders proper education and exposes children to hardship, sometimes even forcing them onto the streets without a future.
Nowadays, some young women tend to disrupt marriages, often pursuing married men because they lack employment and refuse to pursue education, failing to realize this is a misfortune. Women should not spoil marriages by pursuing couples, believing they have a future when nothing could be further from the truth. Similarly, men who engage with other men’s wives find no blessing in their actions.
Nevertheless, systemic barriers persist. Women are frequently relegated to “feminine” ministries and face societal, institutional, and structural challenges, including exploitation, corruption, inadequate implementation frameworks, and the exclusion of marginalized groups like young women and women with disabilities. Socioeconomic factors, such as early marriage, limited financial resources, and a lack of political networks, further constrain their participation.
Women should be empowered to stand against cases of sexual harassment and gender violence, as this can help create a healthier and more equitable future. South Sudan should strive to empower young women for representation on a national scale.
In this country, strong women can inspire other women and youth to pursue justice and avoid mistreatment by the opposite gender in their communities, ensuring respect for marriages on both sides.
A call to young girls is to continue their education and respect established families to prevent breakdowns.
God Protect South Sudan.
Be the Spectator.