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 AFROL
Gender Profiles:
Sudan
The civilian population in Africa's largest country has been suffering for
decades by civil war, religious and political oppression, poverty, natural
disasters and general disrespect of human rights. Women in particular have
fallen victim to this. They are victims of armed attacks and forced to migrate.
They are oppressed in the name of religion and tradition (female genital
mutilation, working ban in Khartoum, etc.). They fall easy victims to food
shortages due to attacks, disasters and general poverty. They are also victims
to rape, slavery and other abuses, especially in the war zones.
The new Constitution prohibits discrimination based on
sex, however, it has resulted in no changes in practice.
According to tradition a Muslim man may marry a non-Muslim, a Muslim woman cannot marry a non-Muslim unless he converts to Islam. Women cannot travel abroad without the permission of their husbands or male guardians.
Prostitution is a growing problem. There are no specific laws regarding sexual harassment.
There are credible reports that government and government-associated forces seized and sold women for work as domestic servants.
Violence against women continues to be a problem. About 90 percent of females have been subjected to
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Infibulation, the most severe type of FGM, is also the most common type. No form of FGM is illegal under the Criminal Code.
Every woman in Sudan on average gives birth to 5,47 children (2000 est.)
Social data
Life expectancy: Total population: 56,55 years
male: 55,49 years
female: 57,66 years (2000 est.)
Infant mortality: 70,21 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Alphabetization rate: Total population: 46,1%
male: 57,7%
female: 34,6% (1995 est.)
Medical services: 10.000 persons per doctor. 30% of total population has no access to health services.
Sex ratio: at birth: 1,05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1,05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1,33 male(s)/female
total population: 1,03 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Religious data: Traditional African religions 30,26%,
Christians 9,74% (mostly in south and Khartoum), Muslim 60% (in north).
Family and tradition
Some aspects of the law, including certain provisions of Islamic law as interpreted and applied by the Government, and many traditional practices, discriminate against women. Gender segregation is common in social settings. In keeping with Islamic law, a Muslim woman has the right to hold and dispose of her own property without interference. Women are ensured inheritance from their parents; however, a daughter inherits half the share of a son, and a widow inherits a smaller percent than do her children. It is much easier for men to initiate legal divorce proceedings than for women. These rules only apply to Muslims and not to those of other faiths, for whom religious or tribal laws apply. Although a Muslim man may marry a non-Muslim, a Muslim woman cannot marry a non-Muslim unless he converts to Islam. Women cannot travel abroad without the permission of their husbands or male guardians.
The tradition of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is deeply
rooted in Sudan, and approximately 90% of females undergo this practice. Infibulation, the most severe type of FGM, is
the most common type. Usually it is performed on girls between the ages of 4 and 7. It is performed often by traditional practitioners in improvised, unsanitary conditions, causing severe pain, trauma, and risk of infection to the child. No form of FGM is illegal under the Criminal
Code.
Gender sensitivity in society
A governmental decree prohibits discrimination based on religion or sex. Redress is provided through the administrative courts or the labor office. The 1992 General Education Act stipulates equal opportunity in education for the disabled. Mechanisms for social redress, especially with respect to violence against women and children, are weak. The new Constitution implemented early in the year prohibits discrimination based on race, sex, or religious creed; however, it has resulted in no changes in practice.
A number of government directives require that women in public places and government offices and female students and teachers conform to what the Government deemed an Islamic dress code. This, at the least, entailed wearing a head covering. However, enforcement of the dress code regulations was uneven. In June a Khartoum court ordered that 25 students from Ahlia University be flogged; they were charged with disturbances, and "obscene acts." The obscene acts apparently referred to the actions of the female students in wearing trousers.
Health data
Access to potable water: 73%
Medical services: 10.000 persons per doctor. 30% of total population has no access to health services.
Maternal mortality rate: 660/100.000.
Infant mortality: 70,21 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM): About 90% of females have undergone FGM.
Infibulation, the most severe type of FGM, is the most common practice
FGM, which is widely condemned by international health experts as damaging to both physical and psychological health, is widespread, especially in the north. An estimated 90 percent or more of females in the north have been subjected to FGM, with consequences that have included severe urinary problems, infections, and even death. Infibulation, the most severe type of FGM, is also the most common type. Usually it is performed on girls between the ages of 4 and 7. It is performed often by traditional practitioners in improvised, unsanitary conditions, causing severe pain, trauma, and risk of infection to the child. No form of FGM is illegal under the Criminal Code; however, the health law forbids doctors and midwives from performing infibulation. Reportedly women displaced from the south to the north increasingly are imposing FGM on their daughters, even if they themselves have not been subjected to it. The Government neither arrested nor prosecuted any persons for violating the health law against infibulation.
Two local NGO's, with funding from the U.N. and a government agency, are involved actively in efforts to eradicate FGM, which they describe as a "harmful practice." A small but growing number of urban, educated families are abandoning the practice completely. A larger number of families, in a compromise with tradition, have adopted the least severe form of FGM as an alternative to infibulation.
Violence against women
Violence against women continues to be a problem, although accurate statistics do not exist. Many women are reluctant to file formal complaints against such abuse, although domestic violence is a legal ground for divorce. The police normally do not intervene in domestic disputes. In particular, displaced women from the south were vulnerable to harassment, rape, and sexual abuse. The Government did not address the problem of violence against women, nor was it discussed publicly. The punishment for rape under the Criminal Act varies from 100 lashes and 10 years imprisonment to death. In most cases, convictions are not announced, but observers believe that sentences are often less than the maximum provided for by law.
Prostitution is a growing problem, although there is no sex tourism industry. There are no specific laws regarding sexual harassment.
Although the law does not specifically prohibit trafficking in persons, it does prohibit slavery and forced labor; however, slavery persists, particularly affecting women and children. The taking of slaves, particularly in war zones, and their transport to parts of central and northern Sudan, continued. Credible reports persist of practices such as the sale and purchase of children, some in alleged slave markets. Libyans have been implicated in the purchase of Sudanese slaves, particularly women and children who were captured by government troops.
There are credible reports that government and government-associated forces seized and sold women for work as domestic servants.
There were unconfirmed reports that the SPLA forcibly recruited Sudanese refugees in northern Uganda for service in their forces.
Approximately 3.000 Ugandan children were forced to become soldiers or sex slaves for the LRA, a Ugandan armed opposition group in the south, which is actively supported by the Government. There were also reports in past years that the LRA had sold and traded some children, mostly girls, or provided them as gifts, to arms dealers in Sudan.
The new Constitution implemented early in the year prohibits slavery and forced labor, but resulted in no changes in practice. In May 1998, the Government formed the Committee for the Eradication of the Abduction of Women and Children. The committee formed mechanisms to identify and return abductees, which have resulted in the return of approximately 200 persons.
Main sources: U.S. Department of State, CIA,
Mundo negro
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