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Feminists Around the World: SIHA · Stuff Mom Never Told You

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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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