Women in Sudan Protest Against Gender-Based Violence and Harassment

Hundreds of Sudanese women took to the streets of Khartoum on Thursday, 8 April 2021 at 11 am, marching towards the Ministry of Justice, in protest against gender-based violence and sexual harassment in Sudan.

The protest, Sudan Women Protest #SudanWomenProtest, was organised by the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Network, led by Regional Director Hala Al Karib, a Sudanese activist for women’s rights in Sudan and the Horn of Africa.

#SudanWomenProtest 🇸🇩
Join the Sudan women’s movement (@WomenProtest_SD) tomorrow *8th April at 11:00am (CAT)* as we protest against the pervasive injustices & #VAWG, gendered killings & militarization in #Sudan.
⏩If you’re in Khartoum, join us at the Ministry of Justice. pic.twitter.com/2AOhpQa6mz

— @sihanet (@Sihanet) April 7, 2021

Protesters gathered at the Ministry of Justice to demand an end to sexual harassment and violence whether domestic or on the streets, Sudan’s guardianship laws, and other forms of gender-based discrimination. Women in Sudan are calling out for the protection of women in Sudan and fighting for women’s rights.

النساء للنساء 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/Bd4LxDdDvS

— ملاذ (@_MalazEmad) April 8, 2021

The protest was organised after a number of domestic violence and sexual abuse reports came to light recently, triggering social media campaigns such as #ItsNotOkay, #الشارع_حقنا (The streets are ours), (We are with you) #نحنا_معاكي, (Sexual harassment is a crime) #التحرش_جريمة, (My father killed me) #ابوي_قتلني and more.

It’s not okay that a woman can’t feel safe in the street
It’s not okay that a woman can’t feel safe at work
It’s not okay that a woman can’t feel safe in her own home
It’s not okay when the law can’t help her.#ItsNotOkay#ابوي_قتلني #نحنا_معاكي #التحرش_جريمة pic.twitter.com/7wbosqGlUv

— Aziz #ItsNotOkay (@AzizIsntHere) April 6, 2021

Most recently, a social media personality, and embroidery and makeup artist, Nahla Ali, took to social media to shed light on sexual harassment and abuse in Sudan, sharing her own experience of being sexually harassed by her uncle.

“خالي تحرش بي ولاموني أنا!”

فتاة سودانية تخرُج عن صمتها

وسودانيات أُخريات ” لستِ لوحدكِ!”#جعفر_توك pic.twitter.com/8OO9XgiRht

— Jaafar Abdul Karim 🍉 (@jaafarAbdulKari) April 7, 2021

According to SIHA, there were violent attacks on the peaceful women’s protest. According to their report, SIHA stated:

“As the protestors marched, chanting, ‘Hey girls, stay still. This revolution is a girls’ revolution’, one man attempted to mow the protestors down with his car (the car did not have a number plate). One woman was taken to hospital, but there are no further reports yet of other major injuries. Other men came out of their cars to physically assault the protestors. One student has said that she was punched and that her attacker threatened to rape her. Several of the protestors have already gone to the local police station to make formal reports of these incidents, eight of which have already been recorded. The driver has been arrested, but it is unclear whether the other attackers have been apprehended.”

بوكس اعترض الموكب و ضرب ٤ بنات نحن اسي في القضائيه pic.twitter.com/2MX3yUoycV

— ملاذ (@_MalazEmad) April 8, 2021

Read more here.

SIHA has also asked the public to sign a Avaaz petition to join “Sudanese women and girls showing violent militants that there is no turning back”.

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