“Marriage competition” for 14-year-old South Sudanese girl

Recent data on South Sudan shows that 52% of girls are married before their 18th birthday, with some as young as 12 years old. Despite the 2008 Child Act, which prohibits early and forced marriage, child marriage persists in South Sudan due to poverty, cultural practices, and a lack of enforcement of the law. In the case of Athiak Dau Riak, a 14-year-old from South Sudan, it’s likely that these circumstances contributed to the viral competition for her hand in marriage across Africa.

“There is nothing wrong with this marriage.”

After photos and videos of the events were posted online, people across Africa took to social media to weigh in on the marriage competition between Marial Garang Jil and Chol Marol Deng. Some voiced their opinions on who the bride should choose, while others defended the process against critics. Marriage competitions are tradition in South Sudan, but Athiak Dau Riak, the bride-to-be, captured the attention of the public with her beauty and height.

Athiak’s age came into question when her maternal uncle posted on Facebook his disapproval of the marriage competition. He called it “a classic example of pedophilia” because he believed her to be a minor. The post captured the attention of South Sudanese feminist activist Aluel Atem, who sees the arrangement as akin to forced marriage. She said to The Guardian:

“She had to pick one of them. I don’t think there was an option for her not to choose either of these two men.”

Athiak’s father, Dau Riak Magany, said nothing is wrong with the marriage because she is 19 and consented. However, Atem explained that in Sherikat, young girls attach worth and status to how much a man pays for his bride. TikTok users dubbed Athiak ‘the most expensive bride in South Sudan,’ which likely gave her a sense of pride.

“They were looking for the cows”

Deborah Kuir Yach, Athiak’s mother, was devastated when she heard her daughter would marry Chol Marol Deng. Yach opposed her daughter’s marriage because she says Athiak is only 14 years old. She claims that in her absence, members of the family burned Athiak’s birth certificate and ID and falsified documents for her to obtain a passport stating she was 19. But Yach possesses an emergency travel document processed by South Sudan’s interior ministry, stating that Athiak was born in Juba on 28 December 2009.

Yach said of the marriage:

“They were looking for the cows. They saw that Athiak would bring them that great wealth. When I refused, they separated me from my daughter.”

The controversy also caught the attention of lawyer Josephine Adhet Deng, who opened a case against Athiak’s father, alleging that he had allowed the wedding of a minor. While waiting for the judiciary to consider the case, Deng has asked Athiak’s father and family to pause the wedding. She has also requested Athiak to return to school for at least five years before deciding her future. Deng believes the bride-to-be is with her future husband’s family in Nairobi and calls for the minor’s return.

Although Athiak has never spoken publicly about her impending marriage, she told The Guardian that, had the marriage process not started, she would have “preferred to study.”

Take action!

Today, an estimated 650 million girls and women who are alive, married in childhood. Child marriage is an egregious child rights violation that robs millions of their childhoods, substituting a life of misery and hardship. Every child deserves to feel safe and have their rights protected, including the right to make their own choices about their future. Join the fight and help end forced marriage throughout the world!