OBITUARY: The invisible victims of armed militia attacks in Darfur
On October 19th 2020, an armed group burned down the IDP camps of Oum Assal, Babanousa and Om Zegerat in Gerida locality. Gerida locality is composed of a number of villages surrounding Gerida town, located in the south of Nyala city – the capital of South Darfur state. Gerida has a population of over one hundred […]
SIHA LAUNCHES A POSITION PAPER – “A Reflection of the Gender Equality Agenda in Somaliland”
SIHA recently launched a position paper dubbed – “A Reflection of the Gender Equality agenda in Somaliland” which provides a current analysis of the women’s movement in Somaliland, and the situation around gender relations in the country. The paper presents an analytical snapshot of the dynamics of post-war women’s rights activism, including the challenges facing […]
PERFORMING ARTS IS NOT A CRIME – ASSAULTING WOMEN AND ARTISTS IS! Sudan is still struggling with militant Islamist ideology
KHARTOUM: Central Khartoum Primary Court issued a verdict against five young artists who were found guilty of public annoyance stipulated in Article 69 of the Criminal Code and Article 77 on the disruption of public safety. They were sentenced to two months imprisonment and a fine of 5,000 SDG (the equivalent of 90,9 USD). This […]
MOURNING HAMDI: THIS IS NOT NORMAL, THIS IS A TRAGEDY
MOGADISHU: We, as the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA Network), condemn with the strongest terms the horrendous murder of Hamdi Mohamed Farah, a young woman from Mogadishu, Somalia. Last week, Hamdi was raped by multiple assailants who then murdered her by throwing her off the 6th floor of a building. Hamdi […]
A Collaborative Civil Society Statement in Response to The Law of Various Amendments (Abolishing and Amending Provisions Restricting Freedom) – Exposing ‘a wolf in sheep’s clothing’
Sudanese women and men, with their various cultural, religious, and ethnic backgrounds, participated in the movement of the glorious December 2019 revolution in a comprehensive and integrated manner. Women, who exceeded 50% of the participants, demonstrated an unflinching commitment to the importance of change and revolution against the militant Salafi and militant Islamist system and […]
SIHA STATEMENT ON WORLD DAY AGAINST TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS
Artwork by Akilu Temesgen Today marks the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. Human Trafficking is an atrocious crime, which violates the basic rights and dignities that must be protected for all. Ethiopia is one of the many countries in the world that has been gravely affected by human trafficking. In 2012, the Ethiopian government […]
IS IT ACTUAL PEACE, OR IS IT JUST A DOCUMENT? #PeaceSitIns
Kabkabiya Sit-In – Darfur, 17th July 2020. Photography Credit: Ibrahim E. منداخلإعتصامكبكابيةبإقليمدارفور – 17 يوليو، 2020 – إبراهيم إ. During the current month of July a number of protest sit-ins were organized in areas affected by conflicts and wars in Sudan, most notably the sit-ins of: Nertiti, Kutum, Kabkabiya, Mistari and Abu Matariq in the […]
CAUGHT BETWEEN COVID-19 AND CONFLICT – WOMEN AND GIRLS CONTINUE TO FACE SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN SOUTH SUDAN
Group of schoolgirls in South Sudan – Photo Credit: SIHA Archives When the peace agreement was signed with opposition forces in late 2018, many women and girls expressed their joy because the long-awaited peace meant putting an end to the rampant use of rape as a weapon, which many soldiers deem to be a form […]
CONFLICT, FOOD INSECURITY, FLOODS, COVID-19, AND THE RISING THREAT OF GENDERED VIOLENCE – ANOTHER BURDEN ON HER SHOULDERS
Women in Mogadishu – Photo Credit: SIHA Archives In Somalia, cases of SGBV and domestic violence have increased significantly since the country began its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gender inequalities are typically worsened by crises and the COVID-19 situation is no different. Women are being hit harder by the negative effects of the crisis, […]
DARFUR STILL STANDS BETWEEN THE SPREAD OF COVID-19, ORGANIZED VIOLENCE, AND THE ABSENCE OF THE RULE OF LAW
Women in Beliel Camp in South Darfur – Photo Credit: SIHA Archives “In the context of the crisis in Darfur, incidents of sexual violence are primarily targeted at displaced women and girls living in camps and peripheries of Darfur cities and towns [1].” In 2018, the UN and African Union joint mission in Darfur documented 122 […]