Sudanese Women's Union

The Sudanese Women's Union (SWU) is a Sudanese women's rights organisation established in 1952 during the struggle for independence from British rule. It became one of the largest and most prominent post-independence women's rights organisations in Africa, combining domestic campaigns for education, literacy, employment, legal equality and protection from discriminatory family practices with internationalist and Pan-African solidarity work. The organisation's founding meeting took place on 17 January 1952. Fatima Talib served as its first president, with Nafisah Ahmad al-Amin as secretary and a founding committee that included Khalida 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 and Mihasin Al Jailani. Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim became president in 1956, followed by Khalida Zahir in 1958. During the colonial period, the SWU challenged the limited access available to girls and women in formal education. It helped establish girls' schools in Khartoum and Omdurman, organised evening classes for adult women, promoted literacy and health education, and opposed underage and forced marriage. Its reform agenda also included consent in marriage, regulation of polygamy, protection for women facing domestic abuse, women's employment, equal pay and opposition to racial discrimination. In 1970, it organised an international conference addressing women's illiteracy that brought together women's organisations from across Africa. The SWU also developed a broad international political profile. Its early Pan-African activities included solidarity actions relating to apartheid in southern Africa, opposition to the execution of Patrice Lumumba, support for Algerian anti-colonial activist Djamila Bouhired and support for Palestinian women activists. After Sudanese women obtained electoral rights following the October 1964 Revolution, Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim was elected in 1965 to the Constitutional Assembly, becoming the first woman elected to Sudan's parliament and, according to cited accounts, the first woman member of a national parliament in Africa. The organisation faced repeated political restrictions. Gaafar Nimeiry's government banned the SWU after the 1964 Revolution, and Ibrahim was placed under house arrest for two years. The Union nevertheless continued feminist advocacy, and its campaigns, together with those of other activists, contributed to changes in family law and provisions concerning equality in the 1973 Constitution. After Omar al-Bashir seized power in 1989, the SWU was officially dissolved along with many civic associations. It continued operating unofficially, while Ibrahim established a London branch during her exile. The SWU remained involved in opposition to authoritarian repression. On 13 July 2012, it joined other civic groups in protests in Sudanese cities against the repression of demonstrators and alleged torture and abuse of women activists by the National Intelligence and Security Service. During Sudan's 2018–2019 Revolution and the subsequent transition toward civilian government, the organisation argued that women's major role in the revolution justified equal representation in government. In August 2019 it called for a 50–50 allocation of positions between women and men at all levels, based on qualifications and capabilities. The SWU received the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights in 1993, alongside eight other individuals and organisations.

The Sudanese Women's Union was created on 17 January 1952, while Sudanese nationalists were campaigning for independence from Britain. Its founding committee brought together women activists including Fatima Talib, Khalida Zahir and Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim. Talib became the first president, Ibrahim later led the Union from 1956, and Zahir was elected president in 1958. From its beginning, the organisation connected women's emancipation with national independence, social development and opposition to colonial restrictions. The SWU's early domestic programme concentrated on education. Under colonial rule, formal education was available to only a small minority of boys and British authorities opposed broad formal schooling for girls. The Union established schools for girls in Khartoum and Omdurman and created evening classes for adult women. It promoted literacy, women's health education and public awareness of harmful practices, while campaigning against underage and forced marriage. Its legal and social reform demands included the right of women to consent to marriage, regulation of polygamy, protection from laws that required abused women to return to their husbands, access to employment, equal pay and opposition to discrimination against Africans. The organisation also operated as a Pan-African and international solidarity movement. It supported women and anti-colonial causes in Zambia, South Africa and Namibia, protested the 1961 execution of Patrice Lumumba, expressed solidarity with Algerian activist Djamila Bouhired and supported Palestinian women activists. In 1970, it hosted an international conference on women's illiteracy attended by women's organisations from across Africa. These activities positioned the SWU within wider struggles against colonialism, apartheid, racial discrimination and gender inequality. Political change in Sudan created both opportunities and constraints. Following women's acquisition of electoral rights after the October 1964 Revolution, Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim won election to the Constitutional Assembly in 1965. She is described in cited accounts as the first woman elected to Sudan's parliament and the first woman member of a national parliament in Africa. The Union's advocacy during the 1960s and 1970s, alongside other feminist activism, contributed to reforms in family law and equal-rights provisions in the 1973 Constitution. However, Gaafar Nimeiry's government banned the organisation, and Ibrahim spent two years under house arrest. In 1989, Omar al-Bashir's coup brought another period of repression. The SWU was officially dissolved together with many other citizens' associations, but it continued to operate unofficially. Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim, living in exile in London, established a London branch. The organisation retained its focus on women's rights while participating in wider civic resistance to authoritarian rule. On 13 July 2012, the SWU joined other civic organisations in protests against repression of demonstrators and alleged torture and abuse of women activists by the National Intelligence and Security Service. During the Sudanese Revolution of 2018–2019 and the transition that followed, it emphasised women's central role in the revolutionary movement. In August 2019, it called for women to receive half of the positions allocated through civilian–military consensus, arguing for equal representation at every level on the basis of qualifications and capabilities. The organisation's current operational status, leadership and formal institutional structure are not established by the supplied reference material.

• 2019

  Call for equal representation during transition

  [1]Sudanese Women's Unionen.wikipedia.org

  The Union demanded a 50–50 share of political positions for women and men during Sudan's transition to democracy.

• 2012

  Protests against repression

  [1]Sudanese Women's Unionen.wikipedia.org

  The SWU joined civic protests against repression of demonstrators and abuse of women activists.

• 1993

  United Nations human rights prize

  [1]Sudanese Women's Unionen.wikipedia.org

  The SWU received the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights.

• 1989

  Official dissolution under Omar al-Bashir

  [1]Sudanese Women's Unionen.wikipedia.org

  The Union was officially dissolved after the 1989 coup, although it continued to operate unofficially.

• 1970

  International conference on women's illiteracy

  [1]Sudanese Women's Unionen.wikipedia.org

  The SWU organised an international conference addressing women's illiteracy with participation from women's organisations across Africa.

• 1965

  First Sudanese woman elected to parliament

  [1]Sudanese Women's Unionen.wikipedia.org

  Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim was elected to Sudan's Constitutional Assembly after women gained electoral rights.

• 1958

  Khalida Zahir becomes president

  [1]Sudanese Women's Unionen.wikipedia.org

  Khalida Zahir was elected to lead the organisation.

• 1956

  Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim becomes president

  [1]Sudanese Women's Unionen.wikipedia.org

  Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim was elected president of the SWU.

• 1952

  Founding of the Union

  [1]Sudanese Women's Unionen.wikipedia.org

  The Sudanese Women's Union was established on 17 January during Sudan's struggle for independence from Britain.

A feminist, democratic and Pan-African civil-society organisation focused on advancing women's education, legal equality, political participation, economic rights and protection from gender-based discrimination in Sudan.

• 2019Equal representation in the democratic transition

  Sudan

  The Union argued that women's substantial participation in the Sudanese Revolution entitled them to equal representation in institutions formed during the civilian–military transition.

  Outcome. The demand became part of the public debate over women's political representation during the transition.

  Source
• 1970International campaign against women's illiteracy

  Africa

  The SWU convened an international conference against women's illiteracy attended by women's organisations from across Africa.

  Outcome. The conference broadened the Union's Pan-African education and women's rights network.

  Source
• Girls' education and literacy campaign

  Sudan

  The SWU established girls' schools, evening classes and adult literacy initiatives, while promoting women's health education.

  Outcome. The initiatives expanded the organisation's educational and social-reform role; a specific quantitative outcome is not provided.

  Source
• Marriage and family-law reform

  Sudan

  The Union campaigned for consent in marriage, regulation of polygamy, protection of abused women and opposition to underage and forced marriage.

  Outcome. The organisation's advocacy, together with other feminist campaigns, contributed to improvements in family law and equality provisions in the 1973 Constitution.

  Source
• Pan-African and international solidarity

  Africa · Sudan · Palestine

  The SWU organised or supported solidarity actions involving anti-apartheid struggles, Patrice Lumumba, Djamila Bouhired and Palestinian women activists.

  Outcome. These actions established the Union as an organisation with internationalist and Pan-African commitments.

  Source

• 2019

  Demand a 50–50 gender allocation in transitional institutionsStrategy

  Background

  Women played a significant role in Sudan's revolutionary mobilisation and subsequent transition negotiations.

  Action taken

  The SWU called for women and men to receive equal shares of positions at all levels, determined by qualifications and capabilities.

  Aftermath

  The demand reinforced the Union's emphasis on women's political representation during the democratic transition.

  Source

• 1989

  Continue operating after official dissolutionStrategy

  Background

  The SWU was formally dissolved after Omar al-Bashir took power in a coup and civic associations were suppressed.

  Action taken

  The organisation continued its activities unofficially, while a London branch was created by Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim during exile.

  Aftermath

  The Union retained an organisational presence despite restrictions, although the supplied material does not establish its current formal status.

  Source

1. 1Sudanese Women's Unionen.wikipedia.org