International Women’s Day: ‘Women’s involvement in Sudan’s peace processes, negotiations, and ending the war, a fundamental requirement’

Report by Fatima Burima for Radio Dabanga.

“Report by Fatima Burima for Radio Dabanga As the world celebrated International Women’s Day on Sunday, March 8, Sudanese marked the day as Sudan’s war against civilians nears its third year, with UN reports indicating that seven million women and girls in the country are at risk of sexual and gender-based violence”

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As the world marked International Women’s Day on Sunday, March 8, Sudanese marked the day as Sudan’s war against civilians nears its third year.

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UN reports indicate that seven million women and girls in the country are at risk of sexual and gender-based violence.

The article lists sexual violence—including rape, kidnapping, slavery, extortion, forced marriage and the use of "sex for food"—alongside loss of services, especially health care and protection, as top violations affecting women during the conflict.

The Zainab Organization for Women’s Development, represented by its head Fatima Mustafa Ahmed (Samhn) in an interview with Radio Dabanga, called for intensified support and relief for those affected.

Fatima Mustafa Ahmed said the war has caused women to lose property and jobs, particularly in rural areas where women contribute more than 80% to agricultural and livestock production, threatening livelihoods and food security.

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She warned that 13 million children face severe levels of hunger and that famine has been confirmed in IDP camps and in many areas inside and outside Sudan.

She appealed to women, civil society and the international community to mobilise resources for relief.

Executive Director Soheir Saeed Adam of the Amal Organization for Human Rights and Justice told Radio Dabanga that women in countryside areas cut off from services and communications face dire conditions.

“Report by Fatima Burima for Radio Dabanga As the world celebrated International Women’s Day on Sunday, March 8, Sudanese marked the day as Sudan’s war against civilians nears its third year, with UN reports indicating that seven million women and girls in the country are at risk of sexual and gender-based violence”

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She said women have been at the forefront of community support, organising initiatives, emergency committees, kitchens and shelters, but remain excluded from negotiation and decision-making tracks related to ending the war.

She insisted that women’s inclusion in negotiations and political initiatives is not symbolic but a prerequisite for a just and sustainable peace, and she called for protection of women from violence and accountability for perpetrators.

Kayan Organization for Women’s Empowerment, via Executive Director Mariam Hamed, echoed calls to protect women from all forms of violence, support their leadership, and ensure full participation in peacebuilding and democratic transformation.

Mariam Hamed said that with the cessation of the war it is necessary to build sustainable peace.

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The article also states the war is nearing its third year, which makes the reference to a cessation unclear.

Ihsan Abdullah, a member of the Executive Office of the No Women Invincibility Initiative, told Radio Dabanga that justice for women and girls is a prerequisite for sustainable peace.

He called for the release of all women detained in Port Sudan and Nyala prisons and urged that perpetrators be held accountable.

Ihsan Abdullah also demanded that victims have access to justice, protection, and legal and humanitarian support.