Parents in Unity state discouraged from charging large dowries
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June 26, 2013 (BENTIU) - The dowry system in South Sudan is causing
school dropouts among young girls, students in Unity state have said,
with some blaming their parents for marrying off their daughters in
order to gain cows.
Dowry prices have doubled in each of the last two years according to
Unity state officials. Some analysts say that increasing bride prices
are one of the causes of cattle raiding in South Sudan, which has
claimed the lives of thousands since South Sudan’s independence in
2011.
Chudier Koryom Diew, a parent in Unity state, urged other parents to
act responsibly when deciding when and to whom their daughters should
be married.
“Some people they are using their ladies or their girls as source of
income, so when you have two daughters which means you will have at
least 300 cows."
In previous generations around 25 cows were exchanged for each
marriage but the the figure is more often around 100, he said.
Nyapar Gatyiel Puok told Sudan Tribune that girls should not be
allowed to get married before the age of 20 as this would encourage
girls to finish school and ensure they are mature enough to look after
a family.
Girls who marry at 13, 14 or 15 are too young too run a household, she said.
Puok said that dowries should not be eliminated, but called for a
reduction in their cost.
“Dowries should be reduced", he said, as exchanging "100 cows could
result to a problem at home". He suggested that illiterate girls
should have a bride price of 30 cows, while those who are educated
should have a bride price of 50 cows.
Nyamal William Bol, 15, said there was no need to eliminate dowries as
it was a way to reimburse the cost of sending girls to school and
further eduction.
“So the only way to pay back to her parents is to pay dowries when it
comes to marriage”, she added.
The ministry of gender, child and social welfare in Unity state says
they are working towards limiting dowries.
Lubna Abdelgani the minister of gender, child and social welfare says
some communities in South Sudan have different traditional dowries
systems, pointing out that the Dinka and Nuer tend to have expensive
marriages.
“Marriage differences erupted as they pay dowries, these days everyone
came up with his or her own system of understanding due to cross
culture from societies in Khartoum, Juba, Dinka, Nuer and mixed up
with others tribe, there is nothing in the past to pay for dowries
before you enter engaging for girl marriage this practice were not
there”, said the minister.
Officials say, they are voicing concerns over the number of dowries as
some parents are forcing their daughters to marry before they reach a
mature age.
(ST)
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