The Crisis of Potential: Challenges Facing South Sudanese Youth

South Sudan, a nation grappling with political instability, economic hardship, and the deep scars of prolonged conflict, faces a critical challenge: harnessing the potential of its young population.

South Sudanese youth, who make an estimated 75% of the population, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), represent both the nation’s greatest hope and a significant vulnerability. Their progress is hindered by limited access to quality education, alarmingly high unemployment rates, and the enduring trauma of conflict. A stark illustration of this is the reported 95% unemployment rate among South Sudanese youth, despite 60% possessing college degrees (Eye Radio, 13 February). This paints a grim picture of wasted potential and fuels a cycle of despair.

However, these challenges are not equally distributed. Young women in South Sudan face a unique, and often more severe, set of obstacles. There are key challenges facing South Sudanese youth especially young women’s experiences with the hardships and inequalities, including barriers to education, economic empowerment, and protection from violence. Understanding these intersecting challenges is crucial to developing effective strategies for a brighter future for all South Sudanese youth.

In South Sudan, women contend not only with modern and contemporary harmful ideologies, but also with traditional and cultural practices that disproportionately affect them, limiting their rights, opportunities, and overall well-being.‘Several cultural practices disproportionately affect young women, limiting their rights, opportunities, and overall well-being. These practices are deeply rooted in tradition but have severe consequences on women’s education, health, and economic independence. In cases of early or forced marriages, many families marry off their daughters at a young age in exchange for cattle or dowry, prioritising wealth over a girl’s wellbeing, which is always sad,’ said Asunta Akon Jueny, a 26-year-old South Sudanese East African Community (EAC) Youth Fellow and entrepreneur.

Despite these challenges, South Sudanese women have achieved significant milestones.‘Women in South Sudan are actively challenging traditional barriers and advocating for gender equality through education, leadership, activism, and community initiatives. Despite cultural and systemic challenges, they continue to push for change in various ways, like some of the women-led organisations like Crown The Woman, Eve Organisation, and many more. Furthermore, more women are stepping into leadership roles, including Rebecca Nyandeng De Mabior, the Vice President for the Gender and Youth Cluster, Honourable Yolanda, the former Minister of Health, and other female parliamentarians advocating for gender-sensitive policies,’ Jueny said.

Since South Sudan’s inception in 2011, women’s social and economic empowerment has been an international concern. For generations, South Sudanese women have actively engaged in entrepreneurship, but their progress has been constrained by social norms, institutional impediments, and insufficient access to education, training, business services, and financing. To address this challenge, in 2022, the World Bank approved a USD70 million International Development Association (IDA) grant to boost women’s social and economic empowerment in South Sudan. The South Sudan Women and Social and Economic Empowerment Project (SSWSEEP) aims to support female entrepreneurs in formalising and scaling up their business activities, and help survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) access vital services to recover and rebuild their lives.

Beyond the specific vulnerabilities faced by women, South Sudanese youth, more generally, contend with a complex web of interconnected issues. ‘The high rate of unemployment among youths in South Sudan comes as a result of having a compact and squeezed labor market. This is due to a higher population of youths concentrating only in the urban areas because of insecurity in rural areas,’ said Dr Ahmed Morgan, Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Juba. Consequently, this large young population faces limited productive opportunities. This lack of jobs renders many youth redundant, leading some to heavy drinking, prostitution, criminal activities, and other forms of social decay. Others migrate internally or externally in search of jobs.

Despite the country’s hardships, the government has overlooked opportunities for prosperity. In 2023, the United Nations (UN) urged South Sudan to diversify its economy and significantly increase investment in non-oil sectors, such as agriculture, and reduce the country’s heavy reliance on oil exports. ‘Most of these unemployed youths take up jobs in the transport sector by using motorbikes, or ‘boda bodas’ as the South Sudanese refer to them, or rickshaws. However, the greatest potential for youth employment is in agriculture, which is not being exploited yet. In addition, commerce and trade is a greater opportunistic sector which is not also exploited. It is left mostly in the hands of foreigners,’ Dr Morgan explains.

However, realising these opportunities may require addressing other obstacles. As illustrates, ‘The government should address the issue of taxes to encourage more youths into the business sector. The government should also find ways of reducing or limiting the size of foreign workers in the private sector, which will give more chances for youth employment,’ Dr Morgan said.

Furthermore, corruption and weak governance hinder economic diversification and exacerbate unemployment, leaving many young South Sudanese feeling disillusioned and without prospects for a better future. These systemic issues, combined with the lingering effects of conflict, create a formidable barrier to youth empowerment. This article has highlighted the multifaceted challenges faced by South Sudanese youth, with a particular focus on the disproportionate burdens shouldered by young women. From deeply ingrained cultural practices to systemic economic barriers, the obstacles are significant, but not insurmountable.

The insights from Jueny, Dr Morgan, and the World Bank’s initiatives demonstrate that progress is possible when targeted interventions address the root causes of inequality and create pathways for education, economic empowerment, and protection. The future of South Sudan hinges on the ability to unlock the potential of its youth. Therefore, a concerted effort from the government, international organisations, civil society, and the private sector is urgently needed to invest in education and skills training, promote gender equality, foster economic diversification, combat corruption, and ensure peace and security. Only through such collaborative and sustained action can South Sudan transform its demographic dividend into a source of strength and prosperity for generations to come. The time to act is now, to prevent a lost generation and build a brighter future where all South Sudanese youth can thrive.

500WM Columnist Butros Nicola Bazia, born in Khartoum, Sudan in 2001, is a South Sudanese independent writer and storyteller currently based in Juba, South Sudan. He began his content creation journey with Young Black Voice Podcast in 2022 and transitioned to creative writing in 2023, driven by a deep interest in arts, culture, and society. His work reflects resilience and creativity, even amidst the challenges posed by ongoing conflict in the region. Nicola now runs his own blog, Autide Me, and has published works in Sudans Post and 500 Words Magazine, where he currently serves as a columnist.