HISTORY OF SUDAN’S GENDER EQUALITY

By: MARK KEVIN A. VIDAR

PRE-ISLAMIC PERIOD
Women's participation in economic activity in the pre Islamic era, side by side with men,
enabled them to be independent both inside and outside the home; women at that time were often
free to choose their own husbands. Women in some of the tribes practiced polyandry and could
marry more than one man. Women were also free to divorce as they wished and men obeyed
their wishes.

FUNJ (1504-1821)
 The era of Funj was characterized by the social control of religious forces - combined
with commercial features and semi-feudal system emerged in which the influence of
paternal influence.
 Women are sold.
 Plays the role of the wife to the pleasure of saving her husband and raising her children
within the walls of the house.

MAHDIA EMPIRE (1821-1899)

 Women suffered in Sudan, many of the destructive phenomena of existence, such as the
phenomenon of exile.
 Enslaved the tribes to each other as the Masalit and other tribes, the Fur and Shaigiyya
and Dinka and Fung and Arab groups against each other, etc.
.

ANGLO-EGYPTIAN CONDOMINIUM (1899-1955)

 Denial of women in formal education (in the first half of the twentieth century) did not
deprive them of that have a strong influence and complete control over the domestic life
and social development.
 Islamic infiltration across institutions power in the kingdoms of Nubia and the Beja in
eastern Sudan and north and take advantage of the system in the maternal inheritance of
power, is also able to Islamisation of kingdoms immediately by marrying the daughters of
the aristocracy of the ruling classes.
 At the advent of Islam women lost some of their privileges. Women, in early Islam,
protested against tendencies of male authority. Early Muslim women, according to
Saadawi, were ahead of women in the rest of the world in resisting "a religious system
based on male domination".

SUDAN INDEPENDENCE (1956)

Opened the door to the women's movement to promote the realization of women's
demands in the political social economic and legal.
Increased educational opportunities for girls in various stages and types and some other
demands, but the status of women remained surrounded by a number of constraints and factors
associated with the new reality brought by colonialism.

ABBOUD ADMINISTRATION (1958) (First period of military system)

There were campaigns against the military regime resulted in a number of gains after the
revolution of 1964 (the glorious October Revolution). This link is close to the women's
movement and the movement of national political movement after independence was driven by
political engagement Sudanese radical movement has adopted more radical than others cause of
women. Since the mid-seventies as a result of shifts in the Sudanese society shifts occurred tread
the political community to look at the issue of women have started conservative political elites
and religious attention to the issue of women and to get around the same time.

(Cause of second war: marginalisation and ethnoreligous due to Sharia)

Nimeiry’s Administration (1969-1985)

The significance of the roles that women play in economic and social development at the
local and national levels and women's roles as change agents have gained considerable attention
in recent years. This recognition may be a result of the activities related to the launching of the
United Nations Decade for Women in Mexico City in 1975, and also due to increased research
about women's activities.
In 1983, Sharia Law was introduced. The Islamic law based on the discrimination and
oppression against women, the impact of late arrival to power, had clear repercussions on the
situation of women in Sudan,
Gender division of labor exists in all societies. Men and women are assigned different
roles and tend to succumb to and fulfill different social expectations. There are some tasks that
are exclusively or predominantly assigned to men and others to women (Mackintosh, 1981). In
many instances, women are seen as their husband's helpers.

Sadiq al-Mahdi (1986-1989)

Gender-role differences continue to hamper women's participation in development
activities. With reference to the Sudan, Doleib (1987) noted that inequality between the sexes is
not a new phenomenon. Sudan, like other Arab and traditional cultures in the developing world,
has certain codes of conduct that are considered appropriate differentially for men and for
women. The approved behaviors are reinforced by the religious, cultural, legal, and educational
systems; these biases are also manifest in the school curriculum (Doleib, 1987). Nevertheless, the
Sudanese society, like societies elsewhere, is undergoing change.
Nevertheless Badri (1990) notes that the changing socio-economic and political
conditions in the Sudan have brought about changes in traditional gender roles. Badri states that
many women are now becoming heads of households as a result of "men migration and men's
absence for war." Consequently, women and girls, besides their traditional roles, are assisting,
through various activities, in providing other forms of support for their families. Women are
expected to work and many males now expect financial contribution from female members,
some are demanding that contribution (Badri, 1990). Sudanese women are now moving out of
strictly traditional roles and are helping provide family support through activities such as food
processing, preparation and selling of food, making and selling of handicrafts, perfume,
toiletries, and tailoring, among others.

Bashir’s Presidency (1989-2019)

 "The role of women in the National Salvation" in January 1990
 "Women-friendly reputation and take care of herself and her children, her husband and
the duties home and be a committed Muslim.
 Restricted women's work on two areas outside of work, family and nursing training in
primary schools.