Monday, July 27, 2020

Sudan’s Women Demonstrate for Fair Representation in Transitional Government
Groups of No to Women's Repression initiative outside the premises of the Sudanese cabinet in Khartoum on 26 July 2020 (ST photo)

July 26, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - Hundreds of women headed Sunday to the Sudanese Council of Ministers to call to ensure women full participation in the transitional authority structures.

The women chanted slogans like: We want our full rights, Long live the women’s struggle, The woman is a partner, not a decor, No discrimination and no let-down.

The rally was organized by 64 women groups and civil society organizations, to express their anger against the poor female representation in government institutions, despite the active role they played during the revolution that toppled the rule of President Omar al-Bashir on April 11, 2019.

The women’s organizations signed a memorandum entitled "Our Complete Right", which Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok received through an official from his cabinet.

There was widespread controversy in Khartoum when some political forces refused to nominate women for the position of governor. Their rejection forced the Prime Minister to demand re-nomination through state coordination and insists that women be on the list.

Also, when the Unionist Alliance choose a female candidate for the Nile River State she faced strong objections from the local community leaders.

Also, another woman Amal Ezzedine was appointed for the Northern state.

The memo stressed the need to maintain the two female governors by "all means".

The groups also demanded to increase women’s participation in all structures of the transitional authority and to expedite the formation of the Legislative Council where 40% of its seats should be allocated to women.

The memo called to set up the Women’s Commission and all the commissions mentioned in the Constitutional Declaration.

Ihssan Fakiri, head of the No to Women Repression initiative, told the Sudan News Agency that women’s groups nominated 7 women for the position of governor but the prime minister did not appoint any of them.

"You cannot appoint 12 ambassadors and no women are included in the list," she further said alluding to 12 diplomats Hamdok selected.

(ST)

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