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Speaker 1: Hey, this is Anny and Samantha and welcome to Stephan

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Speaker 1: never told you protection by her radio.

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Speaker 2: And welcome to another feminist around the world and for

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Speaker 2: today's feminists around the world. We are featuring a nonprofit

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Speaker 2: or a network that has been advocating and continues to

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Speaker 2: bring much needed attention to the things that are happening

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Speaker 2: in Sudan and the surrounding areas. And that organization is

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Speaker 2: the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa

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Speaker 2: or see HW s I h A. We're gonna call

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Speaker 2: it SEAHAW for now. If any of you know that

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Speaker 2: I'm saying this is wrong, please let me know as

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Speaker 2: per usual, but I'm going to assume that it's an acronym.

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Speaker 2: We we'll go with it. Just content warning and we're

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Speaker 2: not talking in depth about anything, but we will be

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Speaker 2: mentioning the war crimes that are happening in Sudan and around,

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Speaker 2: so obviously gender based violence, sexual violence will be mentioned. Fyi.

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Speaker 2: And here's some information about the network. According to their

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Speaker 2: site SEEHA dot org. The network was created by women

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Speaker 2: activists from Somaliland, Ethiopia and Sudan in the mid nineteen nineties.

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Speaker 2: Today we continue to work as an inclusive and diverse

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Speaker 2: feminist women's rights network that holds a unique position working

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Speaker 2: as a regional civil society network and politically volatile context.

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Speaker 2: SEEHAW works in a variety of cultural, political, and geographical

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Speaker 2: environments in Uganda, Ethiopia, Jubuti, Eritrea, Somalia, Somalioland Sudan and

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Speaker 2: South Sudan. In this part of the world, women are

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Speaker 2: particularly portrayed and perceived as victims, but SEAHAW challenges the

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Speaker 2: status quo and the notion that African women are victims.

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Speaker 2: See how acknowledges that almost all challenges that women face

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Speaker 2: are based on socially constructed norms and that these norms

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Speaker 2: actively subordinate women. We work through and firmly believe in

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Speaker 2: the collective power of a African women. We are convinced

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Speaker 2: beyond any doubt that if African women are given the space,

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Speaker 2: they will drive change in this region and beyond defying

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Speaker 2: presumptions about African women. SEAW has been carried on the

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Speaker 2: shoulders of numerous African women's right activists and has been

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Speaker 2: sustained by their relentless commitment to their cause. SIHAW approaches

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Speaker 2: the struggle for women's rights in the Greater Horn of

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Speaker 2: Africa as a political one and as such we hold

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Speaker 2: our aims of fundamental political transformation at the forefront.

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Speaker 1: And they continue to explain in this region, religious militancy

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Speaker 1: often disguises itself as an ideology for resistance against state

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Speaker 1: corruption and ethnic slash cultural biases, when in actuality it

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Speaker 1: is a strategy used by states to oppress and subordinate

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Speaker 1: their populations, with ethnic slash religious minorities, the poor and

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Speaker 1: women being the group's most acutely impacted. This is why

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Speaker 1: I see how it works on addressing religious militancy without fear,

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Speaker 1: and in doing so, our connection to our constituency is deepened.

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Speaker 1: This work has been particularly important in Sudan and Somalia.

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Speaker 1: See how it works to challenge militarism and military institutions

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Speaker 1: as they perpetuate the subjugation of women in order to

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Speaker 1: maintain power. Our work in Sudan and South Sudan particularly

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Speaker 1: speaks to this, especially the lead Seahaw Plade in extending

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Speaker 1: support to women human rights defenders and activists in Sudan

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Speaker 1: during their struggle against the totalitarian ex regime. See how

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Speaker 1: it works to empower civil activists in conflict and post

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Speaker 1: conflict situations because we believe that conflicts can only end

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Speaker 1: with civil activism and citizens' active involvement and peaceful governments.

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Speaker 1: Our work in Sudan through the resistance Committees of the

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Speaker 1: Sudanese Revolution proves the strength of women's rights activists within

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Speaker 1: civil society right.

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Speaker 2: And they've been working extensively to call out the continued

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Speaker 2: inaction of so many advacy groups when it comes to Sudan.

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Speaker 2: In an article written for Alliance Magazine, they write, quote,

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Speaker 2: since the war began, it has been the revolutionary and

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Speaker 2: neighborhood committees and other people's efforts in Sudan and boring

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Speaker 2: countries that are ensuring safe passage for Sudanese and foreign civilians,

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Speaker 2: building hospitals in the rubble, and attempting to meet the

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Speaker 2: needs of the people. Feminist women, LGBTIQ and other people

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Speaker 2: have organized at home through social media in in the diaspora,

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Speaker 2: regional Black feminist group Light the Strategic Initiative for the

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Speaker 2: Horn of Africa SEAHAW have gotten hundreds of people to

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Speaker 2: safety and supplied life saving supplies to hundreds of households

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Speaker 2: in Sudan. SIHA also continues to amplify the demands of

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Speaker 2: Sudanese women's rights groups in their membership. Regional director of Siha,

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Speaker 2: Hala al Kharib spoke at the United Nations Security Council

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Speaker 2: Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security in October of

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Speaker 2: twenty twenty three to urge them to quote initiate independent

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Speaker 2: and impartial investigations for the gender based violence occurring in Sudan,

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Speaker 2: and according to the Sudan Tribune, she told the Council

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Speaker 2: quote holds all parties accountable for any acts of sexual

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Speaker 2: violence and strengthen the existing sanctions regime to include sexual

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Speaker 2: and gender based violence as a standalone designation criterion. And

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Speaker 2: I do want to get into al Kharib's background from

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Speaker 2: their site, but I can't believe that's not already a thing.

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Speaker 2: I'm not gonna lie like as I was reading through

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Speaker 2: this and the fact that it has been and we've

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Speaker 2: talked continuously when we talk about feminists around the world,

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Speaker 2: especially in war torn countries, about the atrocious war crimes

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Speaker 2: against women and children, and itself not that the men

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Speaker 2: aren't suffering, they really are, but when it comes to

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Speaker 2: ginger based violence, especially it's such as rape and kidnapping

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Speaker 2: and enslavement like it's just overwhelming, and the fact that

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Speaker 2: this is not already already a criteria, it's like confusing, surprising.

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Speaker 2: Back to that about al Kyrebala al Kharib was born

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Speaker 2: and raised in Sudan and later lived in Canada. She

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Speaker 2: currently lives and works in Uganda. She has did work

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Speaker 2: in South Sudan, Kenya, and Egypt, as well as the

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Speaker 2: Eastern and Horn of Africa for over twenty years. The

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Speaker 2: law's work specifically focuses on women and girls' rights, activism

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Speaker 2: and social movement, as well as refugees and displaced persons

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Speaker 2: and minority communities challenges. She has wide and comprehensive expertise

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Speaker 2: on the Horn and Eastern Africa regions as a civil

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Speaker 2: society worker, slash activist and social and gender research practitioner.

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Speaker 2: Her educational background is on human rights, women's studies, and psychology.

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Speaker 2: And of course she's served on so many things and

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Speaker 2: has written for so many different publications such as Al

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Speaker 2: Jazeera and so many and she continues to be the

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Speaker 2: leader for this organization in demanding changes and accountability.

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Speaker 1: Honestly, and the article continues. Alcharie further painted a grim

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Speaker 1: picture of the war's consequences, noting that millions of women

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Speaker 1: have lost their livelihoods and savings, leading to limited access

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Speaker 1: to food and essential health care. Women and children, who

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Speaker 1: make up the majority of the displaced population, are in

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Speaker 1: dire need of humanitarian assistance. She underscored the challenges faced

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Speaker 1: in delivering this aid due to a lack of funding,

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Speaker 1: denial of humanitarian access and security, and administrative obstacles imposed

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Speaker 1: by the Sudan Armed Forces. Saf Al Creep also highlighted

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Speaker 1: the unfortunate reality that humanitarian delivery rarely incorporates the perspectives

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Speaker 1: of women, despite their pivotal role in the response efforts.

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Speaker 1: See how Director emphasized the need to end all violence

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Speaker 1: targeting civilians and share the safe passage of civilians and

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Speaker 1: put a halt to the destruction of critical civilian infrastructure.

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Speaker 1: Her words carried a weight of urgency, imploring the international

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Speaker 1: community to take swift and resolute action in the face

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Speaker 1: of a humanitarian crisis that cannot be ignored.

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Speaker 2: Right and in another conference which was also covered by

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Speaker 2: the Sudan A Tribune, which was held a month later

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Speaker 2: after that initial conference, we talked about which called for

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Speaker 2: the solidarity with Sudanese Women, which was organized by Ya Alcarib,

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Speaker 2: talked about the importance of forming feminist groups. Quote Alcarib

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Speaker 2: emphasized the need to form feminist groups and bodies to

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Speaker 2: access the situation document the extent of atrocities committed against

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Speaker 2: women and share this information with the world. She also

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Speaker 2: called for communication with all regional and international bodies to

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Speaker 2: hold those responsible for those crimes accountable and take deterrent

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Speaker 2: measures to prevent their recurrence. The conference's final statement called

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Speaker 2: for ensuring the effective participation of women and their civil

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Speaker 2: society organizations in our leadership role in all stages of

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Speaker 2: the political processes related to conflict resolution and peace in Sudan.

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Speaker 1: And of course, they also stressed the need for justice

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Speaker 1: and accountability for the crimes like gender based violence and

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Speaker 1: war crimes. The article continued. It also demanded that ginger

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Speaker 1: based crimes of sexual violence be included in the political

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Speaker 1: process as a core issue, including accountability, transitional justice and reparations.

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Speaker 1: The Solidarity Conference called for the establishment of a court

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Speaker 1: to specifically address war crimes, committed the focus on violence

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Speaker 1: against women and girls to ensure justice and seriously deal

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Speaker 1: with the issues of gender based sexual violence end quote.

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Speaker 1: The solidarity conference participants also stress the importance of implementing

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Speaker 1: the recommendations of the Office of the High Commissioner for

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Speaker 1: Human Rights to investigate atrocities committed during the war, with

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Speaker 1: a particular focus on gender based violence. The participants also

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Speaker 1: called on the African Union to take immediate and decisive

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Speaker 1: measures to facilitate the cessation hostilities and establish a mission

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Speaker 1: to investigate war crimes.

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Speaker 2: And this is from their site dot net and what

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Speaker 2: their aims and visions are which is quote SEEHAW aims

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Speaker 2: to contribute to unlock the massive potential of the women's

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Speaker 2: rights movement in a Ghoa. This will be accomplished by

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Speaker 2: strengthening the education of civil society organizations so that they

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Speaker 2: can build a strong collective that advocates systemic change. In

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Speaker 2: this way, SEAHAW works through and in support of broad

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Speaker 2: coalitions of grassroot menace to campaign and advocate women's rights

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Speaker 2: and equality and also envisions women and girls in the

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Speaker 2: Ghoa living in peace just environment where they can exercise

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Speaker 2: their equal rights as human beings. So very very broad

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Speaker 2: and there's a lot more different articles about what they're

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Speaker 2: trying to do and the attention that they're trying to

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Speaker 2: bring and how they are also bringing people into safety

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Speaker 2: from these war toward areas. And we know we've talked

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Speaker 2: about before Sudan. This is a big conflict and there's

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Speaker 2: not enough eyes on them. Honestly, we're not paying attention

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Speaker 2: closely enough. Organizations like this is very important and does

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Speaker 2: call out some really big, big need for changes.

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Speaker 1: Yes, absolutely well, once again something I'm sure we'll be

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Speaker 1: looking back on talking more about. But as always, listeners,

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Speaker 1: if you have any suggestions, if you have any thoughts

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Speaker 1: or resources, you can email us at stephanidm Momstuh at

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Speaker 1: iHeartMedia dot com. You can find us on Twitter at

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Speaker 1: most of podcast or on Instagram and TikTok at stuff

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Speaker 1: When the Never Told You. We have a tea public store,

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Speaker 1: and we have a book you can get wherever you

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Speaker 1: get your books. Thanks as always to our super producer Christine,

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Speaker 1: our executive producer Maya, and our contributor Joey. Thank you

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Speaker 1: and thanks to you for listening. Steffan Never Told You

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Speaker 1: his production by Heart Radio. For more podcasts on my

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