Women and Youth

Finding solutions together
© Freya Morales UNDP

A vibrant and strong civil society is key for a democratic and inclusive society. An active and involved civil society plays a central role in representing the voice of citizens in political processes, holding institutions accountable, and addressing inequality and injustice in society. An open civic space, both online and offline, and the freedom of peaceful assembly and association contribute to the creation of an enabling environment. The Netherlands invests in civil society and civic freedoms: 18% of the Dutch overseas development assistance is funded through civil society, including in Sudan.  

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Women as change agents in political transformations

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A well-equipped civil society is able to engage meaningfully with a range of stakeholders. With partner Pax for Peace the Netherlands Embassy  seeks to address the needs of Sudanese civil society, strengthen the necessary condition for a widening of the civic space in Sudan, and to mitigate the roots of local conflicts. Through Madaniyya ("civilian"), strategic support is provided to civil society in order to allow them to positively influence political processes, set agendas, and advocate for change. In a complementary fashion, Al Thawra Unta ("the revolution is female") specifically recognizes the role of women as change agents in Sudan, especially considering their pivotal role in the 2018 revolution. Realizing sustainable peace requires the full participation of women in peacebuilding efforts, and for their rights to be secured.  

Favela street

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Favela Street is a foundation based in Amsterdam. Favela Street offers a program for youngsters to become independent football players by attaining the expertise to self-organize activities for their communities or team. Sport is a means to let girls and women determine and tell their own story. Besides becoming independent football trainers, Favela Street provides the youngsters with educational and employment resources in order to further develop their life skills. By sharing their experiences, young people are made aware of adopting a positive and constructive attitude which allows them to become a role model for their peers. The director of Favela Street, Rocky Hehakija, came to Khartoum in November 2019 to train the local women’s football team Tahaddi. A two-year Favela Street program is ongoing.

SIHA (Strategic initiative for women in the horn of Africa)

The impact of COVID-19 and the deteriorating economic crisis have significantly aggravated the situation of women at the grassroots level, internally displaced women, and women in the informal economy. The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherland in Khartuom and our local partner SIHA (Strategic Initiative for Women in The Horn of Africa) worked together  to minimise the economic impact of COVID-19 on urban women in Sudan,  by implementing a 12-month project in partnership with the Women Street Vendors Union (Currently replaced by Kul-Al-Mihan Women Cooperative) and its network of women’s cooperative associations to respond to the urgent needs worsened during the pandemic. The project seeks to equip the disadvantaged women with skills to increase their resilience, better manage economic instability and mitigate risks, and lobby stakeholders to include urban poor women in the COVID-19 response and economic recovery plans.