Join our webinar 'Sudan Women Peacebuilders: Driving Change in the Face of Conflict'

CSW69 - 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women 

Sudan Women Peacebuilders: Driving Change in the Face of Conflict 

English with Arabic interpretation | Hybrid event: In person and online

11 March 2025 from 2.30 to 4pm EST, 6.30 to 8pm UK time, 8.30 to 10pm in Khartoum 

In-person event held at: Salvation Army (Lower level): 221 E. 52nd St., New York, NY 10022

Register for the online event here

The 23-month conflict in Sudan has severely impacted women, exposing them to heightened gender-based violence, conflict-related sexual violence, displacement, and exacerbating their exclusion from peace efforts. Women’s rights organisations (WROs) and women’s groups work tirelessly to promote peace and deliver humanitarian support but remain severely underfunded and overlooked by international partners and donors. During this session, Saferworld’s Sudanese partners Zenab, SORD, along with other women activists, will share stories of resilience, underscoring the urgent need for genuine partnerships and more flexible funding to sustain their work. Their experiences reveal crucial and practical steps to strengthen the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, ensuring women’s protection and amplifying their leadership in conflict prevention and peacebuilding efforts. Now more than ever, women’s voices must be heard, and their contributions to shaping Sudan’s future fully recognised. 

Moderated by Dalia Obeid, Sudanese lawyer and human rights advocate. 

Co-hosted by Fatima Ahmed, President of Zenab for Women in Development 

Speakers: 

Ilham Osman Ibrahim, Executive Director for the Sudanese Organisation for Research and Development (SORD). Ilham is a Sudanese expert in gender mainstreaming, peacebuilding and development with over 30 years of experience. She has worked with international and national NGOs, UN agencies, and as a consultant on gender, conflict and capacity building. Her work includes extensive research, programme evaluations and training to advance women’s rights, political participation, and social cohesion in Sudan and East Africa more widely. 

Yosra Sabir, media development professional, journalist and feminist writer. Yosra holds a postgraduate diploma in Politics and the Mass Media and an MSc in Gender and Peace Studies, and has 17 years’ experience in advocacy, development and human rights with local and international NGOs in Sudan. Additionally, she has reported on Sudan for several print, broadcast and digital regional and international media since 2011.

Mahasin Ahmed Dahab, feminist activist and co-founder of Midanik. Mahasin has coordinated programmes linking grassroots women’s movements to global frameworks like UNSC Resolution 1325, and has led initiatives such as the Young Women Democracy Academy Sudan. Mahasin develops protection strategies for women and queer individuals, focusing on safety, advocacy and rejecting militarisation. Her work promotes feminist education, digital advocacy, and unites feminist groups to combat violence and advance justice in Sudan. Midanik is an independent revolutionary feminist movement dedicated to advancing women’s rights, peacebuilding and transformative justice. 

Shama Ahmed, peace-building and capacity development expert across Sudan and Uganda. Shama has 15 years of experience in community development, social cohesion, gender-based violence, and women’s peace and security. She has worked with Sudanese community-based organisations and NGOs, providing expertise in policy development, strategy planning and conflict sensitivity. A member of the Darfur Civil Society Platform and the Sudan Gender-Based Violence Working Group, she holds a diploma in Peacebuilding and Development Studies. 

This is a hybrid event. It can be attended in person at Salvation Army (Lower level): 221 E. 52nd St., New York, NY 10022, or joined online at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/RREnBUuzTIyZwFCGRv0qeA