My name is Dusman Florence, and I am 31 years old.
Years ago, I was married to an abusive family, including my husband and in-laws. I walked out of the abusive marriage with two children, enduring both physical and mental torture.
I used to work as a finance and admin officer in a certain national NGO, earning a minimal salary. Despite my meager earnings, I managed to buy food and provide for my family. However, the little savings I made were always taken away by my husband, which was the main cause of the abuse.
Nobody could understand when I said I didn’t have money. Apart from that, I couldn’t say much to save myself. According to my ex-husband, a married woman does not have the right to say no or even defend herself; doing so is regarded as disrespectful.
Because of the abusive marriage, I lost one eye, and I am still struggling with the pain. I didn’t want to spend my entire life being sad and depressed. I couldn’t bear it any longer, and I knew that if I didn’t leave the marriage, I was going to die. I wanted to be happy, healthy, and full of love and life.
When YWCA South Sudan started recruiting for Cohort 1 under the YW4A programme, my friend, who was a reference focal person for Christian Agency for Peace and Development (CAPaD), informed me about the programme and encouraged me to join the group.
I felt motivated, and from that perspective, I embarked on a journey to change my mindset and way of thinking. I told myself that I wanted to learn how to speak up, know all my rights, and help other young women challenge the traditions that prevent them from knowing and defending their rights.
The RiseUp! Leadership course that is offered in the YW4A programme has provided me with a lot of guidance to understand my rights and to find my voice. It has been a year since then, and I am now in the best physical, mental, and spiritual condition of my life. I often go on Facebook and share posts about those negative traditions, encouraging young women to be aware of their rights and always speak up.
