By Lauren Landstrom
Recently, I’ve taken an interest in researching more about the harsh reality of the violence taking place against women in Sudan. The violence being inflicted on women is primarily being utilized by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) during the four-month-old internal armed conflict in the Republic of Sudan. In April of 2023, the World Health Organization estimated that more than 3 million Sudanese women and girls were at risk of gender-based violence. This includes intimate-partner violence. Since then, the number has risen to 4.2 million females at risk. Ever since conflicts have begun, there have been reports of conflict-related sexual violence against at least 57 females, including at least 10 young girls. In one sad and shocking case, as many as 20 women were reportedly raped in the same attack. At least 42 cases have been documented just in the capital, Khartoum, and 46 in the Darfur region. These are only the reported cases; many instances tend to go unreported which means that the true number of cases is, without a doubt, significantly higher.
The violence and threats of violence against women have left them with no choice other than to flee their home and seek refuge in neighboring countries. According to the United Nation Human Rights, Office of the High Commissioner, nearly 700,000 refugees have been forced to flee to neighboring countries. However, the risk of sexual violence only increases when women and girls are on the move and seeking safer locations. There is not enough assistance at reception sites, not enough security for these women, and not enough attention being paid to the dangers they wake up and face every day. Amidst the violence, these women are also facing difficulty with access to water, food, and medical care. Thousands of men and women have left their homes in search of a safer location, but also in search of employment opportunities. Because of this, though, women are being left behind and forced to work as tea or food sellers on the streets and making them more vulnerable to violence. The situation is dire, and these women need help.
As if all of this weren’t enough, there’s also a severe lack of health services available to survivors of sexual violence. Many of the resources have been hampered due to the fighting. There needs to be more medications, medical supplies, dignity kits, and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis kits to prevent HIV transmissions for the clinical management of rape. These resources should be available to women in clinics, community-based organizations, and front-line responders, especially for those who cannot access health facilities. To make this possible, the revised Humanitarian Response Plan for Sudan calls for $63 million US dollars to fund prevention response services.
This issue is not being talked about enough, and more attention should be brought to this crisis. However, many women don’t feel safe to speak out about the violence that surrounds them in an intimidating and corrupt environment. Natalia Kanem, the Executive Director of UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) states, “The use of sexual violence in conflict as a terror tactic is abhorrent and must never be met with impunity for the perpetrators. UNFPA stands by the women and girls of Sudan as they call for justice, and as we lead effort to prevent gender-based violence and provide survivors with medical treatment and counselling. Our work is not done until they have all the support they need.”
