Sudanese women meet in Cairo to coordinate peace efforts
November 13, 2023 (CAIRO) – Calls for peace filled the air as representatives from over 20 existing and newly emerging women’s anti-war initiatives from various civic and political backgrounds and geographical locations within Sudan gathered in Cairo, Egypt.
The meeting aimed at coordinating their efforts towards peace enforcement in Sudan.
The United Nations Women, UN Integrated Transition Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), Crisis Management Initiative and Inclusive Peace organized the three-day meeting entitled “Strategy Meeting: Towards Enhancing Coordination among Women’s Groups”.
Speaking virtually during the meeting, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the Deputy-Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Humanitarian Coordinator said UNITAMS remains unwavering in its dedication to championing and safeguarding the active and significant involvement of women in forthcoming peace and political proceedings.
“Our commitment to supporting and defending the full and meaningful participation of women in future peace and political processes is undiminished”, she remarked.
The UN humanitarian official stressed that this commitment is shared by the international partners, including those who joined the Sudanese women at the meeting.
She further commended the collaboration and bridge-building efforts among Sudanese women, as they actively seek ways to coordinate and work together, while stressing that these efforts “will no doubt set an example for other sectors in Sudan to follow.”
After the conflict erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in mid-April), various Sudanese women’s groups mobilized to address the situation by actively promoting peace and strongly denouncing hostilities.
They also advocated for participation of women in humanitarian and peace initiatives.
Women are credited for formulating political, relief and rights initiatives that aim to end the war through enhancing the delivery of humanitarian assistance, coordinating, and arranging shelters and hosting internally displaced persons, formation of emergency rooms to help with the distribution of relief and respond to women’s special needs.
They continue to monitor and document human rights violations, gender-based violence and sexual violence women and girls suffer on a daily basis in various States in Sudan.
Meanwhile, the three-day workshop recommended among others the importance of “a comprehensive, immediate and unconditioned ceasefire; a commitment to an effective and fair participation of women in all political and peace processes, ensuring the integration of their causes and rights in any political provision and commitment in response to the international community’s commitment to UNSCR 1325″.
They urged states “not to support any party to the conflict and further escalate the war in Sudan”.
Further calls were made for the establishment of a comprehensive and transparent mechanism to ensure the equitable distribution of relief and humanitarian assistance and ensure their gender-sensitivity; to support and ensure women communication with the different mediators, consult them, ensure their access to information, and convey their voices to the parties to the conflict; to speed up the formation of an independent fact-finding mechanism, ensure its communication and engagement with national women and rights groups, particularly in the issues of missing persons, captives and victims of sexual violence and exploitation.
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