Parents in Unity state discouraged from charging large dowries
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)