[Sudanese women took part in the revolution in large numbers for
the same reasons they are now part of the resistance against this
treacherous coup: Their human rights are at stake.]
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SUDANESE WOMEN ON THE FRONT LINES OF THE RESISTANCE  
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Hala Al Karib
November 8, 2021
Africa is a Country
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_ Sudanese women took part in the revolution in large numbers for the
same reasons they are now part of the resistance against this
treacherous coup: Their human rights are at stake. _

, Rita Willaert via Flickr CC BY-NC 2.0.

 

There is nothing more difficult than losing a child. There is nothing
worse than losing our children as a result of treachery, ignorance,
crime and short-sightedness, and this is what is happening in Sudan
now. Dozens of young men and women are being killed by the bullets of
the Sudanese military
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In the midst of this, it is important to acknowledge the contribution
of the women of Sudan to the country’s civil transition.

Since the revolution’s instigation, Sudanese women brilliantly
coordinated and effectively participated in the overthrow of the
Bashir regime, with the proportion of women in the demonstrations in
2018-2019 estimated to have been at least 60%
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In the mid-1990s the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) stated
that Sudan had more than 35% women-headed households. Fast-forward
more than 23 years, the number of women-headed households in Sudan has
probably doubled, if not more. While doing the lion’s share of care
work and providing for their families, women have also, since 2019,
made incredible strides to assert their agency and presence within
households and public spheres. If this coup is allowed to last,
Sudanese women will be dragged into a very dark corner.

We all know that the transitional period of the Sudanese revolution
has not been ideal, and we are fully aware of the number of challenges
and constraints that occurred, but we also fully understand the root
causes of these challenges, starting with the disproportionally
designed political agreement, which allowed remnants of the Omar al
Bashir regime to remain in power. This faction of the transitional
government has never been interested in anything other than keeping
Sudan captive to the same cycles of violence and poverty that have
long been hindering Sudan’s opportunities to achieve stability and
peace.

And although there has been no clear progress on legal and
institutional reform towards gender equality in Sudan, we cannot deny
the achievements made by the Sudanese people, women and men,
throughout the transitional period. In particular, the success of
Sudanese women in increasing and consolidating their presence in
public places.

Women founded sports teams, involved themselves in creative
activities, and paved the way for professions that had been preserved
for men during the previous regime, such as traffic police, technical
professions, car mechanics, carpentry and public car driving. Sudanese
women’s voices rose on all platforms, and through their
participation in peaceful protests and marches, they demanded their
human rights, while spreading awareness about the rights of women and
girls.

Now, at this critical time in Sudan’s history, the women of Sudan
are standing at the front lines, fighting once again to prevent their
country from slipping back into dark times.

If this military coup succeeds in taking over the country, Sudanese
women will face another cycle of obscurity and violence that may be
much worse than the era of Bashir, especially since no legal reform
has taken place in the country. Sudan is still not a member of CEDAW,
and Sudan has not signed or ratified any of the international
protocols or instruments that could have improved the status of women.
In addition, Sudan still has active laws that allow gender-based
violence and impunity for perpetrators of violence against women and
girls.

Moreover, women continue to be arrested for so-called ‘moral
transgressions,’ despite the repeal of the Public Order Law in
Sudan. Punishments are harsh, including flogging, imprisonment and, in
some cases, execution. Poor women and girls, internally displaced
people, refugees, and those living in areas of armed conflict areas
continue to be the most vulnerable to these penalties and organized
violence.

A militant militarized system can only exist by eliminating any
glimmer of hope towards accountability and the rule of law.

The reasons Sudanese women took part in the revolution in large
numbers are the same reasons they are now part of the resistance
against this treacherous coup. We are well aware that any military
government will seriously jeopardize the rights, security and safety
of women, especially with these fundamentalists and warlords at the
helm.

The environment created by the presence of armed groups in civilian
areas has time and again been accompanied by increases in sexual and
gender-based violence. Already there are reports that a group of
soldiers representing the coup stormed a hostel for girls in north
Khartoum, and assaulted dozens of the female students there.

Sudanese women are well aware that their access to basic human rights
and justice are conditioned upon the presence of a civil and
democratic system of governance that respects women’s rights and
humanity. Only under such a government can women be part of legal and
political reform processes that will contribute to bringing about
meaningful change. Until then, the women of Sudan remain on the front
lines to resist any action that pushes them back or diminishes their
humanity and the value of their contribution to society.

_Hala Al Karib is a Sudanese’s human rights activist worked on Sudan
and the Horn of Africa region._

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