Those Forgotten: The Story of Women and Girls in Sudan

Photo via ABC News

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Since April 15, 2023 there has been a Civil War in Sudan. In order to understand what is going on in Sudan it is necessary to understand the history of Sudan. After a coup in 1989, President Omar al-Bashir served as the country’s president until 2019. The coup was staged to oust him—the people of Sudan wanted democracy—but General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and General Mohammed Hamdan Degalo had other plans. On October 25, 2021 General Burhan staged a coup to remove Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. Burhan and Degalo largely disagreed on how the new government should work. Then, on April 15, 2023 shooting between the army led by Burhan and the RSF led by Degalo began. That was the beginning of what the United Nations has called “the most devastating humanitarian and displacement crisis in the world.”

Following the first shots fired in 2023, the war has continued in Sudan. The war is still very largely underreported. Satellite images show the utter bloodshed in the region. In a seemingly ignored war, there are those whose stories are rarely told, the stories of women in Sudan. Women in Sudan have endured devastating atrocities and their pain and suffering is being enabled by the inaction of the world. Famine has been declared in El Fasher and Kadugli, and being a woman is a predictor of hunger. 73.7 percent of women in Sudan do not meet the minimum dietary diversity, illustrating the dire situation they are in. During the interviews conducted by the United Nations, women in Sudan confirm that they skip meals so their kids get more food. Hunger is being used as a means of control and torture for women in Sudan. 

Hunger is not the only life-threatening problem women in Sudan are facing. About 12.1 million or 25 percent of the population in Sudan is at risk for sexual violence, women and children make up a large majority of that number. In 2024 there was a 244 percent increase in gender based violence in Sudan. Women are unable to get water and food for their families without the great risk of sexual violence. Sexual violence has been recognized as a war crime by the United Nations since 2008. Women are never safe in Sudan, their existence is threatened, basic needs are not met, and every basic task is unsafe. Medical care is inaccessible in Sudan. Pregnant women give birth in the streets because there are no hospitals largely due to bombings. 67 percent of hospitals in areas of fighting are closed. Many maternity hospitals are closed including the largest one, Omdurman hospital. 

Hunger, and violence are known to disproportionately affect women during war, but in Sudan nothing is being done to help women. Women’s suffering is known, yet no action is being taken to stop the war. The war in Sudan is ignored, and the silence on the suffering of women speaks volumes. Women in Sudan have no resources to help them, as aid is scarce. The even more frightening part of this war is the likelihood that violence is on a much greater scale than what is even being reported. The statistics we are seeing is of only what is reported, and it is very probable that the actual numbers are much greater than what is reported. With no end in sight, the situation of women in Sudan will only get worse. The situation is not entirely hopeless and there are ways you can help. Resources to help women in Sudan exist. If you are unable to donate, you can urge your local representative to pressure the American government to help stop the war. 

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This article was edited by Peter Leyba.