In a quiet compound in Wau, a town in South Sudan’s western Bahr el Ghazal region, a shelter for survivors of gender-based violence offers a fragile sanctuary. Beneath mango trees, scattered toys and a swaying swing set hint at childhoods disrupted by trauma. Here, women and girls find temporary refuge from abuse, child marriage, and systemic neglect.
Fatuma*, now in her late teens, recounts fleeing relentless violence from a husband who purchased her as a child bride. Married off in exchange for a “bride price” of cattle—a common practice in her community—her family refused to intervene, fearing the loss of the payment. “The cows they gave were the price of my silence,” she told UNFPA, the UN agency supporting the shelter. Her story mirrors a broader crisis: over half of South Sudanese women aged 20–24 were married before 18, often leading to early pregnancies, childbirth complications, and severed educational opportunities.
The risks facing women and girls here are compounded by conflict, climate-driven displacement, and entrenched patriarchy. Displacement camps expose them to heightened risks of rape and exploitation, yet home offers little safety. At the same Wau shelter, a six-year-old girl recovers from near-fatal burns inflicted by her stepmother—a stark example of normalized violence against children.
Supported by UNFPA and Switzerland, the shelter provides medical care, counseling, and community for survivors. However, global funding cuts for gender-based violence services threaten such lifelines. “These programs aren’t just about survival—they’re about rebuilding lives,” said a staff member, emphasizing the need for sustained investment.
South Sudan’s humanitarian needs are acute, yet international attention has waned. UNFPA warns that without urgent support, critical initiatives—including sexual health services and anti-violence campaigns like the 2gether4SRHR program—risk collapse. For now, the shelter’s swings sway as symbols of resilience, but their future hinges on a world often indifferent to crises it cannot see.
*Name changed for protection.
