Sudanese Revolution: Feminism, Art, and the Modern World (9)

Sudan has approximately 34.5 million people from as many as 400 different ethnic groups. The North is dominated by Arabic-speaking Muslims. In the South, at least 100 different languages are spoken, and most southern Sudanese follow indigenous beliefs or have become Christians. Each major ethnic group and historical region has its own special forms of cultural expression.

Feminism

In the 2019 Sudanese Revolution to oust then-President Omar al-Bashir,  women led the way. One 22-year-old student, Alaa Salah, became a symbol of the revolution and feminism in Sudan after a photo of her leading protests went viral. 70% of the protestors in the revolution were women, Historically, Sudanese authorities have silenced women's rights activists with threats of libel and rape; some women had their heads forcibly shaved, were forced to take off their clothes, then photographed, insulted, taken to jail, beaten, and "treated in a way no Sudanese girl should be treated".  However, in sharing their stories, these women do not see it as an act of victimhood, rather it is an act of resistance against a government that has tried to silence them.  

Women's roles in the revolution were diverse in many ways; some women led by encouraging people such as teachers to volunteer or participate in protests, others to provide food by cooking or partnering with restaurants. Following the revolution, women have been sidelined in politics. The goal for Sudanese women in politics would be to achieve 50% representation in the parliament and also establish laws and organizations that are dedicated to women's rights. Finally, the overall ideology of feminism in Sudan is that empowerment isn't a physical or literal concept, rather it is a state of mind that men and women embrace to enable a wider effect. They believe that power begins in the mind, when a woman builds her confidence through reassurances by society signaling faith in her knowledge, choices, skills, and intelligence. 

Art

There is a famous wall painted by a student named Mughira from the nearby arts college, and he says it represents the diversity of Sudan and those who had been taking part of the protests Many different art forms, specifically street art such as murals and graffitti, played a significant role in protesting and the Sudanese Revolution.The art depicts unity and slogans such as freedom, peace, and justice. Many of them use the colors blue, yellow, and green, which were the colors of Sudan's first flag from independence in 1956, which was dropped by a military junta in 1970. 

An art collective is formed in a place where the sit-in protest was in between the northern perimeter of the airport and the Blue Nile, which is now the beating heart of the city and where the university campus is based. At this collective, a dove mural marks the entrance to the vocational training center, representing the freedoms achieved so far. 

Another thing that has built the artistic influence of the revolution is social media presence. The hashtag #Sudaxit became popular with the protestors and stems back to Sudan's African, rather than Arab, identity.. Much of the art carries the message that bullets and bombs are not the order of the day, and they (the protestors) want a peaceful transfer of power. 

Post Revolution 

Sudan’s first year of a three-year transition to democratic rule following the dramatic ouster of President Omar al-Bashir in 2019, was marked by a failing economy, political tensions and continuing popular protests for justice and reforms. These challenges were compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic. The government introduced some reforms but has not yet implemented most of the institutional and law reforms called for in the August 2019 constitutional charter. Lieutenant-General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan was sworn in as chairman of Sudan's ruling Transitional Military Council on 12 April 2019, a day after the army overthrew veteran President Omar al-Bashir.

This followed months of street protests against President Bashir's authoritarian rule. The military said the Council would Sudan through a two-year transition to civilian rule, but opposition groups demanded a quicker transfer, and the African Union and Ethiopia negotiated a power-sharing deal that put a joint civilian-military government in place in September. Lt-Gen Burhan has been accused of involvement in atrocities during military operations against non-Arab civilians in Darfur in 2003, when he was chief of ground forces.

Authorities repealed an abusive public order law, outlawed female genital mutilation, removed the death penalty and lashing as punishments for consensual same-sex conduct and many other offenses, and abolished apostasy as a crime. However, many of the other reforms envisioned in the 2019 Constitutional Charter were not implemented. The government has yet to set up a legislative council and key transitional commissions. It has not embarked on security sector reform beyond renaming the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) as the General Intelligence Service (GIS) and removing its arrest and detention powers.

Gabriella S. Hoard