The violence meted on the bodies and psyches of the girl child and the woman in South Sudan requires nothing short of revolutionary defiance and devising. As women, we can no longer silently lament the loss of one of us in the name of culture.

We can no longer aid nor facilitate criminal behaviors against women passed off as sacred tradition or noble sacrifice. It is time we draw a line on the sand and take a stance for one and all as we strive to regain sovereignty over our bodies and psyches.

Why must the lives of others be of more worth than ours? Why must the voices of others be more valid than ours? Why must the interests of others reign more supreme than ours?

Yes, we had for long accepted the oppression fed to us as culture. Yes, we had even perpetuated the violence against ourselves, our daughters, and our granddaughters. No, we do not want to be men.

No, we are not in any way the weaker sex. The weak, fearing the agency and capacity of others, resort to tactics of subjugation and control. We are women, mighty in every way. It is time we prioritize our well-being without seeking permission, validation, or affirmation. We no longer agonize; we organize.