Thousands of school children gathered to commemorate the African Child Day. |16th June 2022 |Credit:Doru Peninah/Eye Radio

The U.S. Embassy in Juba is calling on a transitional government to do more to end early and forced marriage and gender-based violence.

In a statement released on Thursday ahead of the celebration of Americans Mother’s Day to honor the significant influence that mothers have in our families and society, on Sunday, May 12, Americans will celebrate Mother’s Day.

It says like teachers, mothers are role models for all of us, giving us the critical skills, we need to lead healthy, fulfilling, and productive lives.

It added that an educated mother is the most important indicator of family health, economic strength, cohesion, and child well-being.  Each year of a mother’s education reduces the risk an infant will die by 3.7 percent.

The statement says a mother’s education level influences that of her children, adding that girls’ full access to education is vitally important to a country’s national economic growth.

But it stated, unfortunately, in South Sudan, women and girls are disproportionately affected by the transitional government’s failure to fund basic education for girls.

Approximately 84 percent of girls over the age of 15 in South Sudan are illiterate.

The US embassy stated in a statement the US joined other donors in supporting the Girls’ Education South Sudan Programme

It also called on the transitional government to promote strong families and a better future for all by funding girls’ education.