Gender and Sudan’s 2018/2019 Uprising: Experiences of Self-Employed Women Food and Beverage Sellers in Khartoum and Port Sudan and Women Farmers in South Kordofan

Women’s participation in Sudan’s 2018/2019 uprising has shed light on the social, economic, cultural, and political roles women played and continue to play in Sudan. This participation is n ot unusual given that women have always been active in Sudan’s politics and society and given an ancient history of women’s leadership and rule. An important outcome of the uprising is that it has (re)invigorated women’s and feminist activism and theorizi ng. It ushered a commitment, at least at the level of discourse, among many self identified feminists and women activists and organizations, to understanding and engaging with the theory of intersectionality. This paper, which uses an intersectional persp ective, draws on interdisciplinary, collaborative field research which took place in 2021 in three states in Sudan. The paper documents and analyses the experiences of self employed women street vendors in Khartoum and Port Sudan, and women farmers in Sou th Kordofan. The paper documents ways in which these groups of women contributed to sustaining protestors in Sudan during the uprising, and the ways they continue to sustain communities across Sudan, through a politics of care. The paper also analyses soc ial protection programs that the Transitional government which assumed power in 2019 introduced, particularly the Family Support Program. The visions and perspectives of marginalized communities, including women street vendors and farmers, should inform e fforts for social change and transformation. A policy brief which is partially based on the research that informs this paper, also prepared for the Economic Research Forum, makes further assess gender related policies during Sudan’s transition and makes re commendations on ways to achieve gender equality in Sudan.