The ‘Demand Side’ of Child Marriage: Expanding Gender Norms to Marriage Drivers Facing Boys and Men in South Sudan
In South Sudan, child marriage is often positioned as a cultural practice tied to conflict and displacement as well as gender norms affirming that girls should marry. Based on findings of a multi-sectoral gender assessment conducted by Save the Children in Rumbek, Torit, Malualkon, Bor and Kapoeta,...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Manchester University Press
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Journal of Humanitarian Affairs |
| Subjects: |
| _version_ | 1828815662622965760 |
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| author | Michelle Lokot Lisa DiPangrazio Dorcas Acen Veronica Gatpan Ronald Apunyo |
| author_facet | Michelle Lokot Lisa DiPangrazio Dorcas Acen Veronica Gatpan Ronald Apunyo |
| author_sort | Michelle Lokot |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In South Sudan, child marriage is often positioned as a cultural practice tied to conflict and displacement as well as gender norms affirming that girls should marry. Based on findings of a multi-sectoral gender assessment conducted by Save the Children in Rumbek, Torit, Malualkon, Bor and Kapoeta, our paper draws attention to multiple, connected drivers of child marriage. Drawing specifically on findings related to child marriage, we suggest the need to understand child marriage in the context of cycles of poverty and inter-clan fighting. In many communities, cattle form the basis for the ‘bride price’, driving cattle raiding, due to pressure on males to marry. The ability to pay the bride price may be an indicator of manhood in some pastoralist communities of South Sudan. We suggest that while humanitarian interventions tend to fixate on empowering girls or addressing gender norms girls face, less attention is placed on the ‘demand side’ of child marriage – on the gender norms pushing boys and men to marry girls. Our paper emphasises the importance of tackling norms from both the perspective of girls as well as boys and men within a broader context of improving livelihoods in South Sudan. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T10:48:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f7b9f2bf131949328b394b32022c903d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2515-6411 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T10:48:53Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | Manchester University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Humanitarian Affairs |
| spelling | doaj.art-f7b9f2bf131949328b394b32022c903d2022-12-22T00:26:50ZengManchester University PressJournal of Humanitarian Affairs2515-64112022-05-0141253510.7227/JHA.079The ‘Demand Side’ of Child Marriage: Expanding Gender Norms to Marriage Drivers Facing Boys and Men in South SudanMichelle Lokot0Lisa DiPangrazio1Dorcas Acen2Veronica Gatpan3Ronald Apunyo4London School of Hygiene & Tropical MedicineIndependent ConsultantSave the Children, East and Southern AfricaSave the Children, South SudanSave the Children, South SudanIn South Sudan, child marriage is often positioned as a cultural practice tied to conflict and displacement as well as gender norms affirming that girls should marry. Based on findings of a multi-sectoral gender assessment conducted by Save the Children in Rumbek, Torit, Malualkon, Bor and Kapoeta, our paper draws attention to multiple, connected drivers of child marriage. Drawing specifically on findings related to child marriage, we suggest the need to understand child marriage in the context of cycles of poverty and inter-clan fighting. In many communities, cattle form the basis for the ‘bride price’, driving cattle raiding, due to pressure on males to marry. The ability to pay the bride price may be an indicator of manhood in some pastoralist communities of South Sudan. We suggest that while humanitarian interventions tend to fixate on empowering girls or addressing gender norms girls face, less attention is placed on the ‘demand side’ of child marriage – on the gender norms pushing boys and men to marry girls. Our paper emphasises the importance of tackling norms from both the perspective of girls as well as boys and men within a broader context of improving livelihoods in South Sudan.child marriagesouth sudanconflictdisplacementgendergender norms |
| spellingShingle | Michelle Lokot Lisa DiPangrazio Dorcas Acen Veronica Gatpan Ronald Apunyo The ‘Demand Side’ of Child Marriage: Expanding Gender Norms to Marriage Drivers Facing Boys and Men in South Sudan Journal of Humanitarian Affairs child marriage south sudan conflict displacement gender gender norms |
| title | The ‘Demand Side’ of Child Marriage: Expanding Gender Norms to Marriage Drivers Facing Boys and Men in South Sudan |
| title_full | The ‘Demand Side’ of Child Marriage: Expanding Gender Norms to Marriage Drivers Facing Boys and Men in South Sudan |
| title_fullStr | The ‘Demand Side’ of Child Marriage: Expanding Gender Norms to Marriage Drivers Facing Boys and Men in South Sudan |
| title_full_unstemmed | The ‘Demand Side’ of Child Marriage: Expanding Gender Norms to Marriage Drivers Facing Boys and Men in South Sudan |
| title_short | The ‘Demand Side’ of Child Marriage: Expanding Gender Norms to Marriage Drivers Facing Boys and Men in South Sudan |
| title_sort | demand side of child marriage expanding gender norms to marriage drivers facing boys and men in south sudan |
| topic | child marriage south sudan conflict displacement gender gender norms |
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