Pope says South Sudan’s future depends on treatment of women

JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — Pope Francis says South Sudan’s future depends on how it treats its women. On his second and penultimate day in Africa on Saturday, Francis called for women and girls to be respected, protected and honored. He was meeting with some of the 2 million people who have been forced by fighting and flooding to flee their homes.

In South Sudan, sexual violence against women is rampant, child brides are common and the maternal mortality rate is the highest in the world. The encounter was one of the highlights of Francis’ three-day visit to the world’s youngest country and one of its poorest.

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