The “Public Order” Whipped 15,000 Women in a Single Year

Khartoum, April 18, 2017

15,000 women were whipped last year in Sudan and 54,000 police reports were filed against women in accordance with the “Public Order” law. This was publicized by Dr. Ihsan Fagieri, coordinator of the “No to Women’s Oppression” Initiative, who adds that the accusations included arbitrary arrests against female human rights defenders, in addition to verbal and physical violence. Fagieri also pointed out that the women most affected by these degradations and violations are those working in the informal sector and students.

“Article 152 of Sudan’s Criminal Code of 1991 is deliberately targeted at women wherever they are, it’s titled: ‘Materials and Expositions Contrary to Public Morals,’ – the article states that: ‘Whoever makes, portrays or possesses any materials contrary to public morals or circulates the same, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may not exceed one month or with flogging which may not exceed forty lashes and shall also be liable to fine’,” said Fagieri.

Furthermore, the “No to Women’s Oppression” Initiative prepared and organized a creative festival, to be held at Ahfad University on Thursday, April 16. Little did they know that the national security service would delay, and eventually cancel, the event, but it was later held at the National Umma Party’s house, on Sunday, April 18. Fagieri stated that this festival is aimed at using cultural creativity to fight systemic policies aimed at degrading women through an extremist religious ideology which enforces the public order law, a law that deducts and detracts from the dignity and the value of women and their human rights. The festival included a musical segment and poetry reading by Sabah Sanhouri and Sarah Al-Jack, a film screening, a women’s football match between the Al-Tahaddi and Ahfad teams, and a play presented by the initiative to capture and project to the audience the ways in which the public order law violates the personal freedom of women and men. The event was concluded by the great singer Abu-Araki Al-Bakheet, singing a new song that he composed and dedicated to the “No to Women’s Oppression” Initiative.

It is important to point out that the “No to Women’s Oppression” Initiative was established in 2009 and it specializes in the field of fighting violence and discrimination against Sudanese women.