Miss World South Sudan calls for end to child and forced marriage

Author: John Akot Deng | Published: 40 minutes ago

Miss World South Sudan Nyandeng Kerbino Kuanyin. – Courtesy photo.

Miss World South Sudan Nyandeng Kerbino Kuanyin has called for an end to child and forced marriage during the ongoing Miss World pageant in Vietnam.

Nyandeng used the global platform to advocate for girls’ education and greater protection of their rights.

Speaking in an interview, she said every girl is born with dreams of learning, leading and becoming the woman she is meant to be.

However, she said many girls are prevented from achieving their dreams because of child and forced marriage.

Nyandeng announced her “Breaking the Cycle” Beauty with a Purpose initiative, which aims to prevent child and forced marriage through education, awareness and community engagement.

She said the initiative has supported 10 survivors since it was launched, describing their experiences as a reminder of the potential, hope and courage of girls facing such challenges.

Nyandeng said the initiative was inspired by a conversation with a childhood friend who experienced child and forced marriage.

She said the experience made her ask what she could do to help bring change to her community.

The beauty queen also said she had the opportunity to present her project to the President of South Sudan and the Minister of Culture.

She stressed that meaningful change requires collective action from communities and leaders.

“When one girl rises, an entire community rises with her,” Kwanyin said, calling on communities to work together to protect girls’ dreams and opportunities.

She thanked Miss World for providing a global platform to turn advocacy into action.

Nyandeng concluded her message with a call for unity and determination to “break the cycle.”