10/11/2025
Child married is not acceptable, children must be allowed school times and this is their universal right.
13-year-old girl reportedly escapes forced marriage in Bor
A 13-year-old girl from Bor County has reportedly escaped an attempted forced marriage to a 70-year-old man after her mother intervened and sought help from a local women’s rights group.
The girl, identified as Nosha, allegedly overheard her uncles discussing plans to marry her off to the elderly man in exchange for cows. At the time, she was living with her grandmother in the village while her mother worked in Juba.
“I just want to stay safe, go to school, and build a better future for myself,” Nosha said in an interview with officers from the Women Empowerment Program (WEP), the group now handling her case.
According to WEP’s report, the uncles had deceived Nosha’s mother for months, claiming the child was attending school. In reality, Nosha had never been enrolled. The plan for her marriage reportedly surfaced last Thursday when relatives confirmed the arrangement with the elderly man.
When the mother learned the truth, she confronted her brothers. A fight allegedly broke out, forcing her and her daughter to flee. They later found temporary refuge at an aunt’s home.
A representative from WEP told Hot in Juba that the mother had called for help the same evening after escaping the family compound. “She said they were spending the night at her sister’s place,” the WEP officer said. “They’ll come to our office in the morning so we can follow up on the case together.”
The Women Empowerment Program has called for immediate protection for the girl and urged local authorities in Bor to take action. “Nosha is at risk of early and forced marriage,” the organisation said in its written assessment. “She needs safety, counselling, and access to education.”
Officials from the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare have been informed and are expected to coordinate with child-protection officers in Bor.
Child marriage remains common across South Sudan, despite laws setting the minimum legal marriage age at 18. Poverty and dowry customs often pressure families to exchange young girls for cattle.
Nosha and her mother are now reportedly staying with relatives in Juba while they wait for further assistance. “I don’t want to be forced into marriage,” Nosha said. “I just want to study.”
