The news often highlights and reports on the conflicts in the Sudan—the cattle raids, attempted and failed peace agreements, family feuds, missing children, etc.—but forgets to look beyond the conflict to the good of Sudan. One of the great things about the Sudan, is the strength, perseverance and guile of the women of the region. They are the female heroes of the Sudan, and their good works needs to receive more attention.
The women of this region, often overlooked, are the unsung female heroes of the Sudan, and are the backbone still holding the republic together. These women face unmistakable odds and still triumph with no expectation of recognition or reward. For example, where in the U.S. when a woman is in labor she can expect to be given the option of pain management, the women in South Sudan face labor knowing there is no pain relief. They are as mentally strong as they are physically—tending to the needs of a family and holding a household together while carrying out physically intensive jobs of carrying supplies, like water, back and forth.
Women are seen as victorious should both they and the baby survive labor (South Sudan has one of the highest mortality rates in the world) and then they are left to continue contributing to society—water jug balanced on their head, another on in their arms, baby on their hip. Fetching water, having and raising children against the odds, and maintaining the family dynamic is the sole job for many South Sudan women as education and employment opportunities are scarce. However, their economic situations do not deter them from enjoying the life they are given. They make the most of every day and make every day like them, strong and beautiful.
They truly are the unsung female heroes of the Sudan.
