Sudanese women seek protection through training and advocacy
November 26, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – Women in Sudan are facing escalating violence as the conflict in the country enters its eighth month. In response to this surge in violence, some women are taking matters into their own hands by seeking military training and first aid courses to protect themselves and their families.
“Under force of arms, my mother and sisters were threatened by the RSF. They compelled us to treat the injured and forcibly address their wounds within our home. When a soldier died, we faced beatings,” stated a victim of abuse at the hands of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum revealing the harsh realities faced by her family.
Driven by a history of torment, Rahma opted to join a recruitment camp in Wad Madani, Al-Jazira state, where she and 30 women underwent military training. Rahma shared her motivation with Sudan Tribune, saying, “I witnessed my mother’s tears as she tended to wounds, and I decided to protect myself and my family. Conscription seemed the only available option. There’s an injustice within me that can only be relieved by seeking revenge against those who harmed us and disrupted our lives.”
Amal, at the same centre, enrolled in nursing classes and completed a first aid course. Motivated by her own traumatic experience of witnessing her father being severely beaten by RSF members, Amal decided to undergo first aid training to help the injured. She expressed, “I could not save him or relieve his pain.” Amal now works to assist the sick, alleviate pain, and treat others as a form of protection, believing in the efficacy of practical action against violence.
Etidal, a mother of five, actively seeks aid for her children and protests against the alleged favouritism and unfair distribution of food supplies in Wad Madani. She told Sudan Tribune that, unlike other displaced women, she had not received aid for over six months since her displacement from Omdurman to Wad Madani. Etidal emphasized her commitment to protecting her children from hunger and destitution.
As violence against women intensifies in the eighth month of the ongoing war, individual efforts by women to protect themselves through serious training and rehabilitation have become apparent.
This coincides with broader initiatives to protect women from violence, particularly on the international day of the 16-day campaign against violence towards women.
A statement from the Sudanese Women’s Union, obtained by Sudan Tribune on Saturday, highlighted the widespread violence against women in Sudan. It pointed to the challenges of classifying cases due to the absence of security, violation of the security system, and the rule of the jungle instead of the rule of law during the war led by the army and RSF.
The Union reported over 150 cases of observed rape, forced disappearances, and forced marriages by RSF members using intimidation and force. Women have experienced displacement, asylum, and homelessness on an unprecedented scale, facing deteriorating conditions in shelters, especially for maternal and childhood health.
The coalition confirmed that the war has led to the majority of women losing their property, family separations, and the loss of children under the leadership’s recklessness since October 25, 2021.
The Women Against Injustice Campaign, in a Saturday statement, expressed solidarity with the 16-day campaign’s theme, “No Excuse,” emphasizing the heightened risk of gender-based violence for women and girls amid the ongoing war. The statement pointed to the high rate of rape in areas directly and indirectly influenced by the conflict, along with the disturbing issues of slavery and trafficking of women.
(ST)