South Sudan lawmakers push to criminalize neglect of women during pregnancy

YAMBIO – Lawmakers in South Sudan’s Western Equatoria State are pushing forward a new bill that would make it a criminal offense for men to impregnate women and then leave them without financial or emotional support, amid growing concern over rising single motherhood and worsening social pressures on women.

Across South Sudan, especially in rural and conflict-affected communities, many men abandon their partners after pregnancy, leaving women to raise children alone. With limited access to employment, education, and healthcare, single mothers often struggle to provide food, school fees, and basic needs.

Child abandonment by fathers has become a persistent issue linked to poverty, early marriages, school dropout among girls, and increased vulnerability for women who lack support systems.

Western Equatoria State Assembly Speaker Ann Tuna Richard, who is championing the legislation, said the bill aims to compel men to take responsibility for their families and reduce the burden placed on women and children.

In an interview with Sudans Post, she said lawmakers will push the Minister of Gender to table the bill in the upcoming parliamentary session.

“We are now in the first session and very soon we are closing it. But as soon as we start the second session, we shall make sure that we talk to the Minister of Gender because everything dealing with women and children, it belongs to the Minister of Gender.

“So, we are going to be on the neck of the Minister of Gender to ensure that in the second session, we come up with this law. The first benefit that this law will bring to the families, one, is that the children will be raised by both the parents. The children will be raised by both the parents.”

She said neglect by male partners has forced many women into hardship and contributed to emotional distress, early deaths, and a growing number of children left to survive without parental care.

“Number two, it will not lead to the early grave of the women because the women are dying because of too much responsibility. And also, this one will stop women from giving birth to 10 children with different fathers. Also, socially, our children will be taken care of very well.

“So we shall not see a lot of children on the streets struggling for themselves and yet their fathers are there alive, not dead.”

Tuna urged men to act responsibly, especially when they know they cannot support a household.

“My advice to men who do not take responsibility of their families is that let them take responsibility because this is two-sided. If you know that as a man you are not going to marry this lady, don’t impregnate her.

“Don’t give her burden. You have to make sure that this lady you are going to, you are going to take responsibility of her and you are going to marry her.”

She also condemned the growing practice of older men, businessmen, NGO workers, teachers, and government employees impregnating schoolgirls.

“Number two, for men who are impregnating school-going girls, this thing should stop.

“As the Speaker of Parliament of Western Equatorial State, we don’t want to see this in Western Equatoria. So men should stop dating the young girls of school. And this message is going especially to the businessmen, to the men who are working in NGOs, and also the school teachers and some of them they are working in the government.

“Let them take their eyes away from young school-age girls.”

The Speaker further criticized men who abuse or mistreat their wives while failing to provide for them and their children.

“And the last one is that my message to men, irresponsible men who are not taking care of their wives. The wife is there struggling to feed your children, to take care of your children, and still you want to stress that woman by beating her and also by stressing her too much.

“This one I don’t want to see. If you don’t want her, you better free her so that she won’t marry another husband. The stress that the men are giving them, taking responsibility of the children is enough.”

She said household stability requires both parents to understand their roles.

“This will not make the women grow their horns because it is even written in the Bible that a man is to provide and the work of the woman is to submit. If you’re not now providing for your woman, how can the woman respect you? The woman cannot submit.

“But this one now comes in accordance with the understanding of both the parents.”

She concluded by urging married women to respect their husbands when they provide for their families.

“And also for the women whom their husbands are taking care of them, I want to ask them, let them respect their husbands.

“Because if your husband is providing for you, he has built, constructed a house for you, he’s paying school fees for your children, he’s feeding your children, why do you again go to look for another man?”

The Western Equatoria government has not yet commented on the proposed bill, and civil society organisations are still reviewing the draft. Lawmakers expect the legislation to move to its second reading in the coming weeks.

Tuna expressed hope that the new law, once passed, will reduce neglect, strengthen families, and promote responsible fatherhood across the state.