The struggle of Sudanese women continues unabated

Since the June 30, 1989 coup that brought the Muslim Brotherhood to power, Sudanese women have endured decades of oppression, with their political, social, economic and cultural rights systematically taken away. They have suffered some of the most horrific forms of abuse and exploitation.

Despite these challenges, Sudanese women continued their courageous struggle, leading the masses and sacrificing their own lives. We remember with warmth martyrs like Tayeh Abu Aqleh, Sarah Abdelbagi, Mayada John and Sit Alnafour, and others.

Their efforts and sacrifices led to the overthrow of Omar al-Bashir, whose regime had eroded women’s rights, including equal pay, maternity leave, health care, child nutrition and workplace protections.

However, the reality remains unchanged under the leadership of the generals of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) Security Committee and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). They have plunged the country into a devastating war and perpetuated the parasitic capitalism that continues to plunder Sudan, increase foreign dependency and undermine national sovereignty.

Since the outbreak of the war, Sudanese women have been subjected to various atrocities, including sexual violence, rape, trafficking, displacement, and capture for sexual slavery and recruitment, mainly by the RSF and SAF fighters.

Reports indicate that between April and December 2023, more than 189 cases of rape were recorded, with another 81 cases resulting in death. Of these, 61 occurred after the militias entered Gezira State following the SAF withdrawal, and 21 after the militias entered Sennar.

Women have also been victims of indiscriminate artillery fire from both sides. The United Nations Population Fund estimates that 6.7 million Sudanese, mostly women, are at risk of gender-based violence.

In addition to these horrific crimes, Sudanese women are bearing the brunt of this war in the refugee camps and reception centers, where they continue to be exploited in the worst ways, even in Egypt. Reports have highlighted several cases of sexual abuse and inhumane conditions, such as the one in the Ulala camp in Ethiopia, as one example of many.

As household heads struggle to cope with the burden of living expenses amid widespread job losses, profiteering and inflation, Sudanese family cohesion is under increasing pressure. These growing pressures have accelerated the disintegration of family units in the face of persistent and deepening economic and health crises, characterized by scarcity of health care, rampant epidemics, severe food shortages, widespread famine and profound psychological trauma affecting the population at large.

Sudanese women take up these challenges as if they were in a personal battle with the warring parties, having defeated them once with their loud 1pm cheers during the country’s revolution.

During the Sudanese Revolution, a ‘zaghrouta’ cry was heard from female protesters at 1:00 pm Khartoum time, signaling the beginning of an organised mass protest around a particular theme or slogan.

On April 6, 2019, there was such a protest, when the masses marched to the square in front of the Sudanese army headquarters in Khartoum and occupied it. This was the last protest action before dictator Bashir and his despised regime fell five days later.

So Sudanese women have triumphed and will continue to triumph through their struggle and resilience. They stand steadfastly with the masses in a popular front that will end the war, revive the revolution and bring the murderers and criminals to justice.

We also see the neglect of the international community’s responsibilities and the failure of civil society organizations, which have focused exclusively on the needs of urban women while claiming to represent all women. These organizations have failed to protect Sudanese women, offering only timid and weak condemnations without taking concrete actions on the ground.

In conclusion, the struggle of Sudanese women will continue despite the violence and challenges they face amid war and displacement. Since the founding of the Sudanese Women’s Union in 1952, they have remained steadfast in their quest for equal rights. Today, they stand together with other active forces to end the war, a crucial step towards realizing the goals of the December 2018 revolution.

Long live the heroic struggle of Sudanese women!

Mohamed Khalid is a member of Omdurman’s Karari Resistance Committee, part of the national network of popular Sudanese Resistance Committees. This article was originally published by the anti-imperialist organisation liberationorg.co.uk.

Mohammed Khalid

‘Habouba in Gamar Boba’ by the talented Sudanese graphic artist and illustrator Rana Jubara. This is Johannes Vermeer’s ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ re-imagined as a Sudanese lady dressed in the traditional clothing of her country: a plain white dress (toub) and a