{"id":45474,"date":"2026-06-18T16:43:26","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T14:43:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/?p=45474"},"modified":"2026-06-18T17:37:54","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T15:37:54","slug":"opinion-high-dowry-demands-are-delaying-marriage-and-creating-a-social-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/18\/opinion-high-dowry-demands-are-delaying-marriage-and-creating-a-social-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"OPINION: High dowry demands are delaying marriage and creating a social crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"

By James Innocent<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u200e\u200eMarriage has long been one of the most respected events in South Sudanese society. It is a foundation for family, community unity, and cultural continuity. However, the growing economic hardship facing the country has exposed a challenge that many communities can no longer ignore. The increasing cost of dowry and its impact on young people seeking to marry.<\/p>\n

\u200eAcross many parts of South Sudan, young men are finding it increasingly difficult to meet the high bride price demanded by some families. With limited employment opportunities, rising living costs, and a struggling economy, many educated and hardworking young men are unable to accumulate the wealth required for marriage. As a result, marriage is being delayed, relationships are breaking down, and many young people are losing hope in building families at the appropriate age.<\/p>\n

\u200eAt the same time, many young women remain unmarried not because they do not desire family life, but because economic realities have made marriage less accessible. Some leave their villages and move to urban centers such as Juba in search of livelihoods and opportunities. While many work honestly and contribute positively to society, they often face social criticism and unfair blame for circumstances that are largely beyond their control.<\/p>\n

\u200eSociety must avoid placing responsibility on women alone. The challenge is economic, cultural, and social. Families demanding excessive dowries may believe they are preserving tradition, but when cultural practices become financially impossible for the younger generation, communities must reflect on whether adjustments are necessary to protect the future of families.<\/p>\n

\u200eTraditional leaders, elders, and community representatives have an important role to play in guiding discussions on reasonable dowry practices. Culture should unite families, not create barriers that prevent marriages from taking place. Moderation and flexibility can help preserve tradition while responding to present-day realities.<\/p>\n

\u200eThe government also has a responsibility. Job creation, investment in agriculture, vocational training, and youth empowerment programs can improve economic opportunities for young people. When young men and women have stable incomes, they are better positioned to build families and contribute to national development.<\/p>\n

\u200eYoung women should continue investing in education, entrepreneurship, and skills development while maintaining their dignity and aspirations for family life. Likewise, young men should remain committed to hard work, self-improvement, and responsible leadership rather than giving up because of economic difficulties.<\/p>\n

\u200eThe future of South Sudan depends on strong families. If high dowry demands continue to prevent marriages, communities risk creating a generation that struggles to establish stable homes and raise children. Addressing this issue requires understanding, dialogue, and shared responsibility among families, traditional authorities, religious leaders, government institutions, and the youth themselves.<\/p>\n

\u200eThe time has come for honest conversations about balancing cultural values with economic realities. Protecting our traditions is important, but ensuring that young people can marry, raise families, and contribute to society is equally important. A culture that adapts wisely to changing circumstances is a culture that survives and thrives.<\/p>\n

\u200eThis opinion seeks to encourage dialogue and solutions while respecting South Sudanese cultural values and the economic realities facing today’s youth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By James Innocent \u200e\u200eMarriage has long been one of the most respected events in South Sudanese society. It is a foundation for family, community unity, and cultural continuity. However, the growing economic hardship facing the country has exposed a challenge that many communities can no longer ignore. The increasing cost[Read More…]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":45377,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[89,90,80],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-45474","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-columnists","category-commentary","category-national"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/James-Innocent.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45474","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45474"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45474\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45483,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45474\/revisions\/45483"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45377"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45474"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45474"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45474"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}