Supporting Women’s Inclusion in the Final Implementation of Sudan's Peace Agreement (October 2010)

In October 2010, Inclusive Security returned to Juba, Sudan, to conduct a four-day strategic planning session and skills-building workshop with about 30 core members of the Coalition of Women Leaders from throughout the country. The workshop was a direct follow-up to our assessment mission of July/August 2010. The workshop’s primary goal, in addition to conducting skills sessions on advocacy, strategic planning, coalition building, messaging, and negotiations, was to plan activities over the next nine months. During the assessment,  coalition members expressed several areas of interest including bridging gaps and building trust among groups of women, especially across regions and between women in government and in civil society; supporting a broader cadre of women leaders; and advancing women’s participation in current political and peace processes.
 
The central theme of the need for a free, fair, and peaceful referendum emerged and gained support from all coalition members. Participants recommitted to working together— regardless of the January 2011 referendum’s outcome—on a unified platform for women’s inclusion. The Voice of America came to interview several Coalition members. Listen here (starting about 13:20 into the audio). Coalition member Philister Baya, the focal point for the women in the South, eloquently stated in her radio interview: "We are the mothers of the nation. Both women in the North and women in the South, we want a peaceful referendum."

The atmosphere in Juba during our visit consisted of increasing activity and organization in preparation for the referendum – both  registration and polling. Many women’s groups were mobilizing around civic education/voter outreach in the 10 southern states. We had the opportunity to attend the Southern Sudan Women’s 2011 Referendum three-day conference that brought together over 200 women from throughout the South. The conference also sought to determine how, given political and other constraints, they could productively strategize post-referendum scenarios as they relate to women, something many feel is vital to ensure women’s inclusion in the coming months.

Inclusion in ongoing negotiations continues to be a priority for Sudanese women. As described in our September 2010 newsletter, the structure and process of post-referendum negotiations have been relatively impenetrable for civil society groups, including women. Inclusive Security will continue to support Sudanese women leaders in advocating to the African Union High Level Implementation Panel, the negotiating teams themselves, and the US negotiation support team.

The bulk of the Institute’s activities in the coming months—convening, exchanges, information sessions, trainings, and capacity/skills building—will occur after the referendum. We will continue working with coalition members leading up to the referendum as gaps between women could easily widen in this political environment. Our next trip, slated for December 2010, will be dedicated to activities geared to increasing cohesion among women from throughout Sudan, especially the North and South, prior to the referendum. The activities, roughly, are:

1. Exchange Sessions: The coalition members have repeatedly voiced the need to meet with and learn from women peacebuilders from other countries, particularly in Africa. We plan to bring two to three women from our Women Waging Peace Network to Sudan to share their experiences along two themes: election/referendum violence prevention and women’s inclusion in negotiations.

2. Information Sessions: Given the lack of access to information about post-referendum scenarios, we will convene information sessions for coalition members to learn more about the negotiations and the post-referendum processes that will impact the status of women, including constitutional reform, legislation, and elections.

3. Advocacy Meetings: By introducing policymakers to women leaders, we aim to increase the chances of a sustainable peace by facilitating inclusion. These policymakers include members of the government in Sudan, as well as bilateral and multilateral entities that drive policy and funding.

4. Consultations: We will continue to meet regularly with women’s organizations, members of the Government of South Sudan, international organizations, and the media to ensure we are not only effectively coordinating but also seizing opportunities for women’s broader participation in calls for funding, advocacy, and mobilization.

The current year-long project supporting the Coalition of Women Leaders is funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For more information about Inclusive Security’s work in Sudan, please contact Farah Council.