The Literacy Rates For Women

Categories: Crime Domestic Violence Social Issues

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The is 16% while the rate for men is 40%. In this study, 64% of women and 38% of men have never attended school. The leading cause of girls not going to school is early marriage, while for boys it is the high cost of school fees. In 2013, about 45% of girls were married before the age of 18. When marrying, men are required to pay a 'bride-price' to the bride's family. It is very common to receive cows as a bride-price. This is an incentive for families to sell their daughters when they are struggling economically.

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Additionally, many girls report that their menstrual cycle and lack of access to sanitary towels prevents them from attending schools (41% in this study claim they do not have access). Moreover, the long distances to school and lack of safe sanitation facilities can result in abductions, sexual harassment, and other forms of gender-based violence .

The disproportionately low amount of female teachers is another barrier to girl's education. Less than 10% of teachers here are women, which can decrease the perception of safety in a society where gender based violence is very high and mostly concentrated toward females.

Gender based violence (GBV) has effected a reported 41% of both men and women in the past year. Gender based violence includes rape, sexual assault, domestic violence, murder, torture, war crimes against children, forced marriage, and other forms of sexual violence. Since conflict broke out in 2013, about 20% of girls and women have been raped or sexually assaulted and more than half of the accused perpetrators are uniformed police or soldiers.

Studies show that civil unrest increases GBV amongst all populations.

However, in South Sudan 82% of women and 81% of men agreed that domestic violence against women 'should be tolerated in order to keep the family together'. While domestic violence is illegal, it is socially accepted that a man discipline his wife and they are rarely charged with it as a crime. Women are expected to take the role as the care taker of the household. The conflict has increased these reproductive responsibilities of women which has further limited their access to education and other activities. The second leading reason girls do not go to school is due to increased care work. They bare the role of providing food and sanitized water for the household. They are expected to care for children, the elderly, and the sick.

Due to the increased displacement of people being affected by the conflict, women are taking on extra care-taking responsibilities since the members of their house-holds have increased. Women are culturally and socially expected to refuse food in order to provide more for the rest of the family. However, they have little to none decision-making power in the private sector. Men and boy are identified as making the most decisions in the household and in their communities. Women will make a decision on behalf of a man's absence. Political participation of women in South Sudan is relatively high in comparison to other African countries: it ranks in the top one-third. 28% of parliament seats are held by women.