goes out without telling her husband, neglects the children, argues with her husband, or refuses to have sex. The prevalence of early and forced marriage is an expression of biased gender norms. About 52 percent of girls get married before reaching age 18. In South Sudanese culture, the transition from a girl to a woman is marked by menarche, and hence forced early marriage is justified. This practice is also linked with poverty and ongoing conflict. Many families receive a bride price, especially when a young girl is married off to an older, wealthier groom (GWI, 2018). Traditionally, the brides’ families are paid “the bride price” in the form of cattle or money. The custom of paying the bride price makes men think of their wives as commodities and thus wives lose the right to speak up for themselves (GWI, 2018). Greater attention to reconciliation initiatives and inclusion of women and young people are all opportunities for constructive engagement. Although there is a quota for women’s representation in the legislature, there are few female leaders as ministers, senior civil servants, or governors. Women’s voices are largely excluded from the household due to customary laws and party politics (International Alert, 2012). 5. Gender Equality in Social Protection and Poverty Reduction Programs Gender equality refers to equality of sexes in terms of access to participation in economic opportunities, decision–making as well as the condition of valuing different behaviors, actions, and needs equally, regardless of gender. Empowerment, on the other hand, can be defined as “the process by which those who have been denied the right to make strategic life choices acquire such skills” (Kabeer, 1999). Alkire (2005) defines empowerment as a sub–set of agency, which is what an individual can freely pursue and consider important for their well–being. Control over personal decisions, power over household decision– making, domain–specific autonomy, and power to change aspects of an individual’s own and communal life are some of the indicators that can guide measurement of empowerment (Alkire & Ibrahim, 2007). Alsop and Heinsohn (2005) described individuals and groups as empowered when “they possess the capacity to make effective choices: That is, to translate these choices into desired actions and outcomes”. The World Development Report (WDR) of 2012 took a broader approach. The notion of agency, according to the WDR, should include control over resources, decision–making, freedom of movement, freedom from the risk of violence, and a voice and influence in collective decision–making processes. Gender equality has been widely accepted as an essential component of effective development. Gender equality has progressively taken center stage in the international development community over the past two decades (World Bank, 2014). The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) underscore gender equality and women’s empowerment as an important development objective, in and of itself (Goal 5), and highlight the relevance of gender equality to achieve a wide range of objectives related to sustainable development. For
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