Charting new directions : reflections on women's political activism in Sudan

Abstract

The present conjuncture in which Sudanese women's changing consciousness about their status is unfolding contrasts markedly with the decline in their confidence in the organised women's movement. The author's personal struggle with issues of women's activism in earlier days and today is reflected in this exciting and challenging "transition" where the boundaries between feminist and non-feminist groups are increasingly shifting.

Reflecting on this experience, its implications in challenging prevailing gender arrangements in Sudan, and in developing a secular democratic feminist vision is the central aim of this study. The study attempts to problematise and to identify some theoretical insights gained from Sudanese women's feminist tradition and practice, and to engage in both a personal and political inquiry into its present dynamics. Particular emphasis is devoted to aspects of feminist debates that are relevant to theorisation about Sudanese women's strategies to further their grip on agency and autonomy. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)