Several regions in Sudan witness ongoing conflicts, often along ethnic divides, which have been instrumentalised by different political elements in the past – with women being the main victims of violence and the socio-economic consequences of conflict. At the same time traditional conflict solving mechanisms involve mainly male persons – just like governmental institutions historically exclude women. In 2021, as intercommunal violence intensified, the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Sudan increased to 3.2 million. Nevertheless, women in IDP communities remain largely disregarded when it comes to ensuring their representation within Sudan’s National Action Plan for the implementation of the UN Security Council resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security and the Juba Peace Agreement.
Our approach:
In line with the National Action Plan to implement resolution 1325, Bana aims at: “actively involving women in peace-building, peacekeeping, peace negotiations and decision-making processes at all levels, and in relief, reconstruction and development; promoting the recognition of women’s rights before, during and post armed conflict; ensuring the protection of women against any form of gender-based violence, and putting an end to impunity.” Bana Group seeks to advocate to explicitely address the needs and rights of displaced women within the action plan and conflict related policy. Further, we focus on increasing awareness among women in IDP communities about their role in peaceful coexistence and the rights granted to them within the Juba Peace agreement, such as 40% representation on all levels of governance, which includes IDP communities. We carry out the following activities to achieve our objectives:
- Awareness and ToT workshops involving activists and activists groups in conflict-affected areas
- Advocacy campaigns and dialogue sessions in IDP communities for awareness raising with different societal groups
- Awareness sessions on the role of women in peacebuilding and peaceful coexistence in IDP communities
Completed activities:
Peacebuildung dialogue sessions in marginalized villages in West Kordofan, focussing on women and the tribal leadership structures
Dialogue sessions on peaceful coexistence with women in Morni, Krinding and Abuzar IDP camps, El-Geneina