By Deng Ghai Deng
Along the busy banks of the River Nile’s Leudiet Fishing Market in Bor, South Sudan, a quiet revolution is taking place. The air is thick with the scent of saltwater and wood smoke, and the rhythmic bumping of boats against docks is a constant backdrop. In this traditionally male-dominated world, women are no longer just on the sidelines; they are at the heart of the action, carving out a new path for themselves and their families.
At the forefront of this change is Adau Makuei, a woman whose journey from housewife to independent fish trader is a testament to her quiet defiance. Her transformation began after devastating floods forced her to seek a new way to provide for her family in 2021. Adau’s transition wasn’t just about a change of job; it meant a complete overhaul of her daily life and routine. Having spent most of her adult life as a housewife taking care of her home and children, she had to learn a new trade from scratch and navigate the cultural backlash that came with it.
Adau recalls the initial skepticism she faced.”People used to laugh when I talked about buying fish from the islands myself,” she says, her voice firm with purpose. “They said women don’t belong on boats. They claimed that we’ll get lost, that the sun will ‘spoil’ us. They said we should stay home and raise children.”
But for Adau, staying home meant dependency and hunger, a life she wasn’t willing to accept.
So, she took a risk. She started small, buying from middlemen, but soon realized she could do more. She taught herself the intricacies of the trade, from preserving fish to identifying reliable boat captains.
Now, she’s the one in charge; negotiating prices, managing her stock, and making her own decisions. Her hard work has earned her the respect of her community, including the very men who once doubted her. “Now when they see me with my fish, people no longer whisper,” she says with a proud smile. “They ask me for advice.”
Other women, like Ajah Majok, who made a living by selling groceries, are following in Makuei’s footsteps, challenging long-held cultural beliefs that confined women to the home. Ajah’s small shop wasn’t earning enough to provide for her family, and she knew she had to take a leap of faith to do more.
“I decided to step out because I saw what was possible,” Ajah says. “There’s an old saying that a woman’s place is behind the door, but when your children are hungry, you have to find a way to open a new one. The river gives us that door.”
Amol Deng is another woman building a business through fishing. She says women are proving the traditional view that women shouldn’t spend too much time in the sun for fear it would harm their fertility or that crossing rivers alone was a source of shame, wrong.
Amol, who uses her profits to support her family and send her children to school, is not just a source of revenue; she’s building a new legacy for the next generation. “My mother told me girls should marry well,” she says. “I tell my daughters to marry if they want but also to build something of their own.”
Bol Deng Bol, Executive Director of INTREPID South Sudan, sees the change as an economic and social shift.
“We’re not just talking about fish,” he explains. “We’re talking about women teaching risk management, negotiation, and cash flow. These are skills that give them more than income, it gives them a voice.”
Despite their progress, these women face obstacles, including theft, unpredictable floods, and a lack of access to credit and safe transport.
Cultural resistance, while fading, is still present. William Kuol Chuol, the Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare in Jonglei State, acknowledges their progress but stresses the need for more support.
“We need policies that support women traders not just in words, but in budget and infrastructure,” he says.
Editor’s Note: “This story is reported with a grant from Journalists for Human Rights under the ‘Tackling Mis/Disinformation Project,’ funded by the Peace and Stabilization Program of the Government of Canada.”