Funding women-led organizations and survivor services is critical amid surging gender-based violence in Sudan
New York City — As the crisis in Sudan continues to deepen, UN Women has just published a new Gender Alert on the impact of the conflict on women and girls. More than 11 million people have been displaced as of October 2024, with more than half (54 per cent) being women and girls.
An estimated 12 million people are currently at risk of gender-based violence. Documented cases of mass and systemic rape highlight the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, leaving survivors in dire need of medical, psychological, and social support. Since December 2023, the number of survivors of gender-based violence, including conflict-related sexual violence, seeking services increased by 288 per cent, illustrating the scope of the crisis. Evidence shows that women and girls from ethnic minority groups are being deliberately targeted.
Economic hardship and the looming risk of famine are driving some women and girls to transactional sex, further exposing them to gender-based violence and risks of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Risks of child marriage, female genital mutilation, and other forms of gender-based violence have increased as a consequence of the conflict—and three in four (74 per cent) school-age girls (approximately 2.5 million) are out of school.
"The suffering of women and girls in Sudan is a stark reminder of the gendered impacts of conflict," said Anna Mutavati, UN Women Regional Director for East and Southern Africa. "The deliberate and targeted use of sexual violence as a tool of war is a gross violation of human rights and international law. Together, we can ensure that the dignity and safety of women and girls are at the heart of humanitarian responses. We call on all parties to take immediate action to end these atrocities, and more broadly to put an end to this war and restore peace."
Local women-led organizations (WLOs) are vital in delivering survivor-centred responses but currently receive less than 2 per cent of the total funding of the Sudan Humanitarian Fund. UN Women is working to empower women-led organizations and to strengthen community-based gender-based violence prevention and response mechanisms, but increased funding is urgently needed. UN Women is also partnering with women-led networks that are advocating for the end to the conflict and helping integrate women's voices into ceasefire talks.
UN Women's response also includes the establishment of safe spaces for psychosocial support and the launch of vocational training and economic empowerment programmes to reduce vulnerabilities and provide pathways to resilience for affected women.
UN Women calls for the restoration of peace and the immediate cessation of all forms of gender-based violence, including the use of sexual violence as weapon of war, and for the security and dignity of women and girls. Robust documentation of conflict-related sexual violence is also essential to hold perpetrators accountable and to inform targeted interventions.
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Comprehensive support systems are urgently needed, including for clinical management of rape, mental health services, and safe shelters. Currently, less than 10 per cent of the targeted population has access to these services. The crisis in Sudan demands a united response from the international community, which is both immediate and long-term. There is no excuse for inaction—women and girls must not be left behind in the struggle for peace and security.
