TheSudanese Women's Union(SWU,Arabic:الاتحاد النسائي السوداني,transliteration:Aletahad Elnisa'i Assodani) is a Sudanesewomen's rightsorganisation that is one of the biggest post-independence women's rights organisations in Africa.[1]: 43
الاتحاد النسائي السوداني | |
| Founded | 1952[1] |
|---|---|
| Founders | Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim,Fatima Talib,Khalida Zahir |
| Focus | women's rights |
Area served | Sudan |
Creation
editThe Sudanese Women's Union (SWU) was created in 1952 during thestruggle for independencefromBritain,withFatima Talib,Khalida ZahirandFatima Ahmed Ibrahimforming the executive committee.[1]The first president of the Union wasFatima Talib.[2]In 1956, Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim was elected president of the SWU.[3]Khalida Zahirwas elected president in 1958.[4]
Founding Committee
editThe 17 January 1952 founding meeting of the SWU included the following leadership and founding members.[2]
President –Fatima Talib
Secretary –Nafisa Ahmed Al Amin
Members –Khalda Zahir,Thuryia Al Dirdeiri,Nafisa Al Mileik,Suad Al Fatih Al Badawi,Batoul Adham,Thuryia Umbabi,Suad Abdel Rahman,Hajja Kashif Badri,Azziza Meki,Khadmalla Osman,Fatima Abdel Rahman,Suad Abdel Aal,Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim,Khadija Mohamed Mustafa
1952–1989
editThe SWU wasPan-Africanistin its early years. It organised women's solidarity actions for women and againstapartheidin Zambia, South Africa andNamibia;in protest against the 1961 execution ofPatrice Lumumbain theRepublic of the Congo;in protest against the arrest ofDjamila Bouhired,[1]an Algerian anti-colonial activist who in 2019 participated in2019 Algerian street protests;[5]and in support ofPalestinian womenactivists.[1]
In Sudan, the SWU campaigned in favour of girls' education during theBritish colonialperiod in which education was only organised for a small minority of boys and the British authorities opposed formal education for girls. The SWU created schools for girls inKhartoumandOmdurmanand in 1970 organised an international conference against women's illiteracy that was attended by manywomen's organisationsfrom around Africa. The SWU created evening classes for adult women, encouraging literacy and women's health education and opposingunderageandforced marriages.[1]
The SWU also campaigned forpolygamyto be regulated;[1]for the right to consent to marriage; against laws requiring abused women to return to their husbands;[6]for women's employment, for equal pay, and against discrimination against "Africans".[1]
AfterSudanese women gained electoral rightsin theOctober 1964 Sudanese Revolution,Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim became, in 1965, the first woman elected as a member of theSudanese parliament(at the time called the Constitutional Assembly)[1]and, according to authorCaitlin DaviesandMiddle East Monitor,the first woman member of any African parliament.[7][3]
The post-1964 prime ministerGaafar Nimeirybanned the SWU and Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim was held under house arrest for two years.[6]
Campaigning by the SWU and other feminists continued during the 1960s and 70s and led to improvements infamily lawandequal rightsfor men and women in the1973 Constitution.[1]
1989–2018
editThe SWU (along with many other citizens' associations) was officially dissolved in 1989 whenOmar al-Bashirtook power in a coup d'état.[1]The SWU continued to operate unofficially. Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim, in exile in London, created a London branch of the SWU.[6]
On 13 July 2012, the SWU together with other citizens' groups organised protests in cities in Sudan against the repression of demonstrators and against the torture and abuses of female activists by theNational Intelligence and Security Service(NISS).[1]
Sudanese Revolution
editIn August 2019, during theSudanese transition to democracyperiod that followed the first 2018–2019civil disobedience,coup andmassacrephases of theSudanese Revolution,the SWU argued that since women had played as significant a role in the revolution as men, positions chosen by civilian–military consensus in theCabinet of Ministersshould be allotted equally between men and women, stating that Sudanese women "claim an equal share of 50–50 with men at all levels, measured by qualifications and capabilities".[8]
Awards
editThe SWU was awarded theUnited Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rightsin 1993, along with eight other groups and individuals.[9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^abcdefghijklOsman, Amira (2014)."Beyond the pan-Africanist agenda: Sudanese women's movement, achievements and challenges"(PDF).Feminist Africa(19): 43.Archived(PDF)from the original on 2 October 2019.Retrieved2 October2019.
- ^ab"A history of Sudanese women organizations and the strive for liberation and empowerment. – Free Online Library".thefreelibrary.com.Retrieved9 December2019.
- ^abCharles, Khalil (15 August 2017)."Friends and foes unite to honour Sudan's first female MP".Middle East Monitor.Archivedfrom the original on 2 October 2019.Retrieved2 October2019.
- ^"1 January Sudan National Day: Women Role in Independence Movement".Sudanow.23 December 2018.Archivedfrom the original on 15 November 2019.Retrieved15 November2019.
- ^"Algeria: Tens of thousands protest president's bid for fifth term".Al Jazeera.1 March 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 2 October 2019.Retrieved2 October2019.
- ^abcKile, J (16 June 2013)."Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim".Moral Heroes.Archivedfrom the original on 2 October 2019.Retrieved2 October2019.
- ^Davies, Caitlin(3 June 2018)."Sudanese Women's Union".caitlindavies.co.uk.Archivedfrom the original on 2 October 2019.Retrieved2 October2019.
- ^"Sudan signs power-sharing deal as its former dictator goes to trial".Vox.19 August 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 19 August 2019.Retrieved19 August2019.
- ^"The United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights – List of previous recipients".OHCHR.2019.Archivedfrom the original on 27 May 2019.Retrieved3 October2019.