Sudan's second civil war and U.S. humanitarian efforts elevated the "lost boys" to widespread recognition. But little attention has been paid to the "lost girls" of Sudan. As South Sudan plunges back into violent conflict, the risks girls face are mounting, including sexual and gender based violence.
Though the plight of the lost boys is well known, the story of Sudan's lost girls is often overlooked. While the new feature film The Good Lie documents the story of three lost boys and their sister's journey to the United States, the reality for Sudan's lost girls is that few were afforded the same opportunities as their male counterparts, although they faced many of the same challenges.
An article in the Boston Globe, How the lost girls became the forgotten girls, highlights that out of 3,700 children chosen to start a new life in America, only 89 were girls. The reason for the discrepancy is not just that these girls were overlooked, but that there are social and cultural norms against it. Not only that, but most orphaned girls were adopted by refugee families or married young.
In the three years since South Sudan gained independence, the challenges facing women and girls have been staggering. For poverty stricken families with limited resources, priority is often given to boys to attend school. Girls are often responsible for domestic chores in rural households and may be married off at a young age.
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