An exploration into the intersections of gender, conflict, and violence in the lives of women and girls in Nimule and Yei, South Sudan

This article explores how the ongoing conflict and mass displacement of civilians in South Sudan has intensified already-normalised harmful gender norms. This article presents quantitative findings from a prevalence survey administered to a sample of women aged 15–64 years, from two Payams in South Sudan, Nimule (Magwi) and Yei. Slightly more than 5,600 households were enumerated and mapped in this exercise in Yei Payam and the same was done for approximately 1,550 households in Nimule Payam. The focus of the survey was on documenting the prevalence of different forms of violence experienced by women and girls. Our findings confirm very high levels of physical, sexual, and emotional violence across our study sites. Our study demonstrates the context-sensitive nature of violence against women and girls, highlighting the need for tailored, highly localised interventions. Effective strategies should but rarely seek to reverse cultural norms to mitigate violence against women and girls.