Mother's Day in South Sudan Date in the current year: July 1, 2024

South Sudan is one of the world's youngest independent states, it proclaimed its independence from Sudan in 2011. That same year, President Salva Kiir Mayardit declared the first Monday in July as Mother's Day. The first celebration of the holiday was held on July 2, 2012. On this day, children give their mothers small gifts and flowers.

However, it is hard to say that South Sudanese Mother's Day is a festive event for all mothers in the country. Since December 2013, the country has been torn apart by a civil war, so there is no wonder that many mothers and their children have to face a number of serious challenges, including human rights violation, domestic violence, and discrimination.

South Sudan has the highest maternal mortality rate in the world, over 2,000 per 100,000 live births. The under-five infant mortality rate is also high (over 135 per 1,000). All these issues must be addressed, and Mother's Day could be the perfect occasion to address them. Sadly, the holiday is more of a formality.