Sudan

WPHF is filling crucial funding gaps for local women’s organizations in Sudan, supporting them to respond to the COVID-19 global pandemic and sustain their critical operations on the front lines.

Our Work

In Sudan, WPHF is channeling urgently-needed financing to grassroots women’s organizations working to sustain their operations and respond to COVID-19 and its gender dimensions.

Our Partners

WPHF has supported 2 projects implemented by 3 women-led and women’s rights civil society organizations in Sudan: 

• Sahari Organization for Development and the Sudanese Family Planning Association on a project to raise awareness on COVID-19 and SRHR as well as provide food security through cash transfers for women economically impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
• Women’s Wings Organization (WWO) on a project to support women IDPs and their families in Mayo and Elfathin Khartoum through the COVID-19 crisis, aiming to stop misinformation, stigma, and fear about COVID-19 through awareness campaigns, distribute hygiene kits and build women’s capacity to prevent and respond to the pandemic.

Explore our Full List of WPHF COVID-19 Emergency Response Window Partners Around the World

Background

Sudan is still in a transition period with the secession of South Sudan in July 2011 and the subsequent loss of about 75% of the country’s oil resources. The economy is expected to recover gradually with revival of the agriculture industry, increases in oil production and gold mining. However, soaring inflation, a high fiscal deficit and sanctions could reduce Sudan’s potential for socio-economic development. Nearly half (46.5%) of the population of Sudan falls below the poverty line. The 2013 Human Development Report shows Sudan with a low Human Development Index (HDI) ranking of 171 out of 183 countries despite its much higher ranking National Income (GNI). In addition, Sudan ranks 129 among 148 countries on the Gender Inequality Index in the report.

Women’s political participation has increased as a result of provisions within the Interim National Constitution and the Elections Act of 2008, which mandate 25% representation of women in parliament. This has resulted in a marked increase of women parliamentarians now exceeding the quota at 28%, but short of the international threshold of 33% women’s representation in parliament.

Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) is regarded as a prevalent and critical hindering factor for human development and peacebuilding in Sudan. The country has a weak normative framework regarding SGBV, as it is not a state party to the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Women are disproportionately affected by the various conflicts and security situations across the country, yet their involvement in leadership and participation in peace talks, conflict resolutions, and peacebuilding continue to reflect only token treatment.

Our Vision

In Sudan, WPHF aims to ensure the financing and coordination of local civil society organizations, empowering women as leaders and key humanitarian actors in the fight against COVID-19 on the road to sustainable peace.