Introduction:
For decades of armed conflicts and internal strife in Sudan, women and girls have disproportionately borne the brunt of violence and deprivation. However, Sudanese women have recently begun to play a pivotal role in achieving peace and reconciliation at the local and national levels.
Women’s Role in Peace Processes:
Sudanese women actively participate in various peace initiatives and national dialogue efforts. For instance, women’s groups have been involved in peace talks between the government and armed movements, contributing to more inclusive and sustainable agreements. Women have also played a crucial role in community-level reconciliation processes, leading dialogue initiatives between different communities and facilitating the reintegration of those affected by conflicts.
Empowering Women in Peacebuilding:
To enhance women’s roles in peacebuilding, civil society organizations are commendably working to train women in mediation and leadership skills. These organizations also strive to increase women’s participation in decision-making at the local and national levels. Therefore, empowering women economically and politically will be crucial in strengthening their contributions to sustainable peace.
It is now more crucial than ever to effectively integrate women’s issues into peace talks and transitional negotiations, and to ensure their representation is proportionate to their reality and contributions to society.
Amidst the ongoing war in Sudan, an untold tragedy emerges – the tragedy of women who pay a heavy price for this war while being simultaneously excluded from the dialogue on how to end it. As the world celebrates International Women’s Month, Sudanese women are subjected to various forms of violence and violations, from rape and sexual assault to kidnapping and loss of breadwinners, in a context marked by abject poverty and lack of medical facilities, especially those related to sexual and reproductive health.
The war that erupted on April 15, 2023, between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces has led to a humanitarian crisis that is considered the largest globally, according to United Nations reports. More than 8 million people have been displaced by the war, 88% of whom are women and children. There are over 4 million women and girls facing the risk of sexual assault, and there are worrying reports of the existence of women’s trafficking markets in Sudan.
It is crucial that the voices and experiences of Sudanese women are meaningfully included in the peace processes and transitional negotiations. Their representation must reflect their reality and the significant contributions they make to their communities. Failure to do so will perpetuate the marginalization of women and undermine the prospects for sustainable peace in Sudan.
The painful paradox lies in the fact that the women who were at the forefront during the Sudanese revolution that toppled the government of Omar al-Bashir on January 11, 2019, found themselves marginalized and excluded from decision-making centers in the transitional government, despite their contributions and sacrifices. The promises to allocate a 40% quota for women’s representation remained ink on paper, and the percentages were lower than what was promised, reflecting a failure to meet the aspirations of Sudanese women and to recognize their vital role in society and the political process.
One of the biggest obstacles to achieving peace and protecting women and vulnerable groups is that the country has a long history of impunity. The failure to hold perpetrators of atrocities accountable not only poses a barrier to transitional justice, but also perpetuates the cycle of violence, as many of the horrific human rights violations that occurred in the Darfur region for years have been repeated in Khartoum, Gezira, and other places. Therefore, the complete lack of justice reflects the failure of the Sudanese state and the international community, and sends a message to the victims that they do not deserve justice, and that the perpetrators can continue their actions without fear of consequences.
Despite the fact that it is too early to discuss a specific political role in a future government after peace, the recognition of the suffering of women from behind the scenes of Sudanese politics has become an urgent demand, as negotiations and efforts are currently underway for a number of initiatives to achieve a peaceful transition in Sudan. However, it seems that politicians have not learned from past experiences, as women’s issues have not been given the deserved priority on the negotiation agenda, which indicates the continuity of marginalization and exclusion, which is manifested in new promises to reduce women’s share in parliament from the previous 30% despite the vast damage caused by the war, which has been reflected on the women of Sudan. This reality reflects a lack of political will to ensure fair and effective representation of women in the future political and social life of Sudan.
It is worth noting that this failure to prioritize the role of women in political life has its roots in the personal beliefs of some of the key stakeholders involved. I personally went through a discussion among some Sudanese political leaders where the validity and accuracy of the figures related to incidents of sexual assaults were questioned, which represents a disregard for the evidence and testimonies presented and contributes to increasing women’s silence and fear of non-recognition of their suffering and the stigma of society. This skepticism will result in the loss of documentation and then accountability for the perpetrators, and therefore, there is a need to address this situation even before reaching a peace process in Sudan.
In the same context, the testimonies of women who have been sexually assaulted in Sudan, according to the reports documented by the Doctors’ Committee, have reached 417 cases. Of course, these figures do not generally represent the real numbers, which are often doubled. This is due to the difficulty of reaching the authorities that monitor the reports due to the disruption of communication means and the dangerous security situation.
In the same context, the UN expert on the human rights situation in Sudan, Radwan Nouisser, stated in a statement that he “listened to very disturbing accounts of sexual violence against women and girls, most of which are alleged to have been committed by members of the Rapid Support Forces and allied militias.”
The reports indicate that 70% of the violations often occur collectively and in front of the victims’ families, as a systematic form of humiliation, and that the violation of women’s bodies is seen as a means of punishment and a powerful weapon to weaken the other through these practices, the psychological impact of which remains for generations.
The Sudanese women’s groups that have been persistently speaking about women’s rights in Sudan and their suffering have often been subjected to attacks from the Sudanese society, both men and women, which conflates the legitimate rights of women with Sudanese customs and traditions. In a patriarchal society like Sudan, where men try to control women, the political platforms are not devoid of this narrative that diminishes and openly speaks of the “nuisance” caused by women demanding a greater role in political life.
Hager al-Shaikh, a political and rights analyst specializing in the Sudanese situation, says “We see many women activists and human rights defenders advocating for women’s rights being talked about in the news and on social media platforms in a bullying manner, along with their associates, in a way that makes their work more difficult compared to their male counterparts.”
The current Sudanese reality imposes a new role for women, as it is unacceptable for legitimate demands to disappear within the negotiation discussions that took place between the military and civilian components, where the clauses on women’s rights and the prevention of war violations were ignored. We believe that peace can be achieved, and here arises the question of why a clause preventing sexual assaults on women was not included? There should be a clear agreement on criminalization, as they occur as a systematic crime punishable under international law. Despite the initiatives and mediation efforts sponsored by the United States and European countries, and considering the achievement of peace as a top priority, this sponsorship lacks basic rights agendas.
This highlights the true will of the international community and its desire, either to resolve the war in Sudan and ensure sustainable peace, or to achieve a temporary peace that fails to address the fundamental issues facing Sudan. Therefore, the desired peace cannot be achieved without achieving justice for all. It is clear that both the Sudanese political elites and the regional mediators contribute to the state of neglect facing the situation of women in Sudan. Consequently, the challenges facing women in Sudan require specific international attention and tangible action, as the international silence and the inadequate media coverage of the suffering of women in Sudan contributes to the continuation of the crisis without a solution. The international community and the media are required to play a more effective role in shedding light on these issues and supporting the efforts of women and human rights organizations in Sudan to ensure their rights and protect them from violations.
It is also worrying that the suicide rates have increased in Sudan due to the lack of psychological and medical treatment, as there are no entities working to provide support and treatment after these violations occur.
The Sudanese women’s groups that have been persistently speaking about women’s rights in Sudan and their suffering have often been subjected to attacks from the Sudanese society, both men and women, which conflates the legitimate rights of women with Sudanese customs and traditions. In a patriarchal society like Sudan, where men try to control women, the political platforms are not devoid of this narrative that diminishes and openly speaks of the “nuisance” caused by women demanding a greater role in political life.
Hager al-Shaikh, a political and rights analyst specializing in the Sudanese situation, says “We see many women activists and human rights defenders advocating for women’s rights being talked about in the news and on social media platforms in a bullying manner, along with their associates, in a way that makes their work more difficult compared to their male counterparts.”
The current Sudanese reality imposes a new role for women, as it is unacceptable for legitimate demands to disappear within the negotiation discussions that took place between the military and civilian components, where the clauses on women’s rights and the prevention of war violations were ignored. We believe that peace can be achieved, and here arises the question of why a clause preventing sexual assaults on women was not included? There should be a clear agreement on criminalization, as they occur as a systematic crime punishable under international law. Despite the initiatives and mediation efforts sponsored by the United States and European countries, and considering the achievement of peace as a top priority, this sponsorship lacks basic rights agendas.
This highlights the true will of the international community and its desire, either to resolve the war in Sudan and ensure sustainable peace, or to achieve a temporary peace that fails to address the fundamental issues facing Sudan. Therefore, the desired peace cannot be achieved without achieving justice for all. It is clear that both the Sudanese political elites and the regional mediators contribute to the state of neglect facing the situation of women in Sudan. Consequently, the challenges facing women in Sudan require specific international attention and tangible action, as the international silence and the inadequate media coverage of the suffering of women in Sudan contributes to the continuation of the crisis without a solution. The international community and the media are required to play a more effective role in shedding light on these issues and supporting the efforts of women and human rights organizations in Sudan to ensure their rights and protect them from violations.
The international community must bear its responsibility towards Sudan. It is also required to place the file of women during this war among the priorities of the ongoing and future negotiations, and to ensure that they are fully protected and that the parties to the conflict do not consider women as one of the legitimate battlefields that they can engage in and escape punishment afterwards as usual. In addition to strengthening equality and implementing UN Security Council resolutions, such as Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, which calls for increased participation of women in all efforts to prevent and resolve conflicts.
It is now more necessary than ever to effectively include women’s issues in peace talks and transitional negotiations, and to ensure that their representation is proportionate to their reality and contributions to society. Women in Sudan are not just victims, they are also leaders and main drivers of change and peace, and they must be considered partners in the process of building a peaceful future for Sudan. We must remember that achieving peace and stability in Sudan will not be possible without addressing the root causes of the problems facing women in Sudan and ensuring their rights fully. The time has come to change the narrative and focus efforts on building a future that ensures women the position they deserve in leading and laying the foundations for the new Sudan.
Despite significant challenges, Sudanese women continue to play a central role in building peace and stability in the country. By further enhancing their participation in peace processes and building their leadership capacities, women can effectively contribute to transforming their communities towards a more peaceful and prosperous future.
