Why Women Led the Uprising in Sudan

Apr 12, 2019 | Nasredeen Abdulbari
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The protests that led to the ouster of Sudan’s president, Omar al-Bashir, have been dominated by women. Day after day on the streets of Khartoum, as many as two-thirds of those who turn out are women. Photos of women — angry, defiant, now celebratory — have become emblems of the uprising.

Various segments and groups of Sudanese society have taken part in the protests and are still demonstrating out of concern that Thursday’s military coup will not usher in the freedom, justice or peace that the protesters seek. People from different political, ethnic, religious and social backgrounds have participated in the protests, culminating in a historic sit-in at the headquarters of the Sudanese Armed Forces. But women — always — have been at the forefront.