Sudan 2018/19 Revolution 101- PART 5 Gender Equity and Cultural Pluralism

Sudan Revolution – part 5

Gender Equity and Cultural Pluralism

One of the most beautiful and powerful aspects of the Sudanese uprising has been the diversity of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) coalition. This diversity manifested itself in a couple of distinct sources of optimism about the future of Sudan. The first is the prominence of women in the resistance frontlines, which has impressed scores of people around the world. The second is the splendid array of ethnicities and cultures at the Sit-In square, to which people flocked from around the country to express their different identities and stake their claim to citizenship. It was heartwarming to see young people from Kadugli reporting live from the square in what Sudanese urbanites derogatorily call “broken Arabic.” If Sudan is to have a chance of pivoting from uprising to a genuine transformative revolution of Freedom, Peace, and Justice, the opposition leadership must possess: 1) a deep uncompromising belief in women’s equal humanity, dignity, and contribution to society; and 2) an equally deep uncompromising commitment to honoring the cultural diversity of the Sudan.

So far, these two necessary conditions have not been reflected in the composition of the FFC team negotiating with the Transitional Military Council. The poor representation of women and people from “marginalized” regions – Darfur, Southern Kordofan, the far North and East – at the negotiations table is conspicuous, and stands in insulting contrast to the demography of the protests. Cultural pluralism should be a guiding principle and mobilized as a source of strength.

For the uprising itself to be democratic, not only should there be more than one or two women at the table, but the coming civilian government had better include women in significant numbers and in high level critical posts. In particular, addressing the problem of gender-based violence – displayed so painfully on June 3^rd – must be a high priority item on the national agenda, where any discussions and public policy decisions rely on the knowledge and expertise of Sudanese women medical doctors, psychologists, activists, and leaders of civil society organizations.

Similarly, in order for the chant “Kullal balad Darfur” (the entire country is Darfur) to be more than an empty slogan, the attitudes of many Sudanese must change to uproot the entrenched sexism, Arab-centrism, class elitism, and urban bias. Instead of dismissing people in rural areas as “mere camel herders” or “simple farmers,” we must work hard to undo the hegemony of the urban center on economic resources and political power.

The task is not easy. Women’s subordination and urban bias run very deep, and cultural and gender based equity require power sharing. But, any leadership worthy of a new Sudan must show that it has or can transcend exclusionary social habits. For now, the lack of attention to diversity threatens the uprising itself because it weakens the people’s trust in and commitment to the opposition leadership.