WUNRN
Women’s Feature Service - http://www.wfsnews.org/
Sudan – Woman Leader Works with Varied Groups for Progress in Ending Violence, Building Peace
As the head of Niswa, a network of community,
religious and political leaders, Zahra Abdelnaieem has played a key role in
supporting survivors of gender-based violence in Darfur in Sudan. (Courtesy:
Zahra Abdelnaieem)
El Fasher (Women’s Feature Service)
– She was born into a family of six in El Fasher, the capital city of North
Darfur, and spent much of her childhood playing mediator and peacekeeper to her
siblings. Today, she does the very same thing; the only difference is that her
efforts now have far reaching consequences for her people, who have been trying
to heal from the pain and hurt of years of civil war that has ripped through
Darfur in Sudan. As the head of Niswa, a network of community, religious and
political leaders, Zahra Abdelnaieem has played a key role in upholding women’s
active involvement in the 2011 negotiations of the Darfur Peace Agreement.
The fighting in Darfur - made more
intense by the devastating impact of regular flash floods and drought - has
displaced hundreds of thousands of people, and casualties have mounted steadily
over the years. This makes a group like Niswa and its work extremely crucial.
Today, the group has expanded the scope of its work from peace agreements to
reaching out to conflict-affected groups that may have been on opposite sides,
to bring them together towards peace and reconciliation. Though its hard work
and there are many setbacks, Abdelnaieem wakes up every morning with a positive
attitude ready to forge peace, stimulate dialogue between contentious groups,
and help survivors of gender-based violence, including those who have been
displaced due to the conflict, find the medical services and community support
that they need.
Educated at the University of
Khartoum, she received her Bachelor’s degree in the 1970s, considered quite an
accomplishment for women, since their role was usually limited to household
chores. Her father passed away when she was young, and she lost her sister soon
after. Despite these early losses, she says she feels lucky to have the family
that she has, and enjoys spending time with her nieces and nephews.
As a long time women’s civil rights
activist, Abdelnaieem has negotiated community peace talks both before and
during conflict. She says a visit to South Africa in 2010 changed her life and
introduced her to civil rights activists working on reconciliation throughout
Africa. After years of pushing for greater political representation by women as
well as their active involvement in peace talks, 2013 marked a milestone: two
women officially joined the traditional administration structures as Omdas, or
community leaders. She works closely with the Omdas to try and bring stability
to communities throughout Darfur. The adoption of UN Security Council
resolution 1325 in 2000 stressed the importance of involving women in
decision-making in peace-building and conflict prevention, a fact that
Abdelnaieem says continues to inspire her to persistently put herself in the
centre of conflict, with the hope of peace. In this interview, she gives a
glimpse into her daily life in El Fasher and talks about her efforts in
supporting survivors of gender-based violence as well as working with various
groups to create lasting peace in the region.
Q: What do you think have
been the most important factors that have helped get you where you are today?
A: Devotion to the cause and
honesty with whomever you’re working with are necessary. I’m very grateful to
have earned the trust of so many, vastly different groups - from displaced
persons, to rebel leaders to government officials. That is what I’m most proud
of. It’s not an easy thing, to gain people’s trust, especially now, with the
ongoing conflict. But I was able to gain the trust and respect of many opposing
groups. I don’t shy away from speaking out. There is no fear when you are in
the right.
Q: What are some of the
biggest obstacles you face in building peace?
A: In the early stages of the peace
talks, women activists reached out to both sides of the table. Many didn’t
acknowledge the importance of women taking part in the process. Now they
realise that they need all of us. We all have the same goal in the end.
Ultimately, the people fighting on all sides of the conflict are the people of
Darfur – we shouldn’t be killing ourselves.
Q: What do you believe
has been your greatest contribution to society or your community?
A: My colleagues and I created
Niswa, a network of women activists from various professions and backgrounds in
Darfur. We have doctors, lawyers, politicians as part of the team. We wanted to
strengthen each other rather than each woman working alone. We found that the
issues we raised met with less resistance when we spoke as one. We became very
active and very visible.
Before the peace talks even began,
we reached out to women as soon as they began to arrive in the camps [for
displaced persons]. We spoke to these communities about helping the survivors
of gender-based violence rather than see them as a source of shame to be
socially ostracised. We helped displaced women who are survivors of violence.
We work together to help them get medical treatment, legal support, employment
and follow up on their case files with the authorities so that that their
rights aren’t lost.
Q: Has being a woman
affected your journey, and how?
A: There will always be people who
will try to provoke you, but I don’t respond to them. I find strength in the
support of my colleagues, and in the faith I have in the work we do. But my
strong belief in the need for public service and the staunch support I received
from my friends and family has been wonderful. The women I work with, they are
my sisters. We constantly check on each other and support each other.
Q: What is your main
message for the younger generation? What should they learn from your
experience?
A: We work to create a generation
that will inherit this work from us. They need to be concerned with these
issues. So I implore the younger generation of women to get more involved in
public service. I hope they have the self-confidence and selflessness to always
help those in less fortunate positions for as long as they are physically and
mentally able to do so.
I hope they view my work in a
positive light. I’m grateful that my views and my work are held in some esteem
by the displaced persons and policy-makers with whom I work. I am grateful for
having earned their respect.
(This article was part of U.N. Women’s Empowering Women — Empowering Humanity: Picture It! Campaign in the lead-up to Beijing+20.)