Recent attacks on girls and young women in South Sudan illustrate how they are at risk and lack adequate protections.
On June 25, armed men in Pochalla North, Jonglei state reportedly abducted four female students as they travelled to sit for secondary school exams. Though the local community organized search efforts, the four remain missing.
On June 19, the police said they had arrested seven suspects in the gang-rape of a 16-year-old girl in South Sudan’s capital, Juba. An alleged video of the attack spread online and generated public outrage. Following the incident, the country’s gender minister called for thorough investigations and accountability. Activists called for legal reforms and organized forums to encourage survivors to speak out. But even when cases garner such levels of public scrutiny, convictions are rare.
In May, armed youth surrounded a girl’s boarding school in Marial Lou, Warrap state, trapping at least 100 students inside. According to the United Nations peacekeeping mission, teachers locked the gates until peacekeepers secured the school and negotiated an end to the siege.
These incidents are part of an all-too-familiar story in South Sudan where a girl’s body, her education, and her future are under constant threat. Generations of conflict, widespread access to arms, and patriarchal customs including bride price have long turned women’s and girls’ bodies into battlegrounds, used as spoils of war or bargaining chips in intercommunal disputes.
Watching communities mobilize to protect girls brings hope that such behavior and practices may change, but meaningful protection still depends on the state fulfilling its legal obligations.
A party to the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, South Sudan has also ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration, committing to protect women, girls, students, and schools from attack. The Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare and the Ministry of Justice have promoted the Anti-Gender Based Violence and Child Protection Bill, which could strengthen legal protections, criminalize forced and child marriage, and guarantee survivors free medical and psychosocial support. Parliament should prioritize the bill’s adoption.
The government should also strengthen the country’s rule-of-law institutions and ensure accountability for perpetrators. Protecting schools from attacks—including by enhancing security presence, youth focused dialogues, and rights-respecting disarmament processes—is critical.
Girls in South Sudan should be able to walk to school and learn without fear, and authorities should act to ensure these basic rights.