Born to be Married
Addressing early and forced marriage in Nyal, South Sudan
Recent research by Oxfam has found that the rate of child, early and forced marriage (CEFM) in Nyal—an area that has bordered some of the most brutal fighting in South Sudan’s five-year conflict—is among some of the highest rates in the world. In Nyal, located in Panyijiar County of former Unity State, an estimated 71% of girls are married before the age of 18, a significantly higher rate than the national pre-conflict average of 45%. The research also revealed that 10% of girls and women in Nyal are married before the age of 15.