Print friendly
Some young girls are still auctioned off into marriage for cows in South Sudan — one of the social challenges that activists had hoped to highlight during Pope Francis’ now-postponed visit.
The price of a daughter, determined in negotiations between her father and would-be husband, is typically 50 to 100 cows, each worth up to $1,000. A girl viewed as beautiful, fertile and of high social rank can bring as many as 200 cows. One girl in a well-publicised case a few years ago was auctioned off for 520 cows, plus cars.
“The younger the girl marries, the more the family gets cattle in return,” said Jackline Nasiwa, executive director of the Centre of Inclusive Governance, Peace and Justice in South Sudan’s capital, Juba. “They sell their daughters so that they get something to survive.” Read more
Related Posts:
News category: News Shorts, World.
