International Women’s Day 2026: A Celebration of Resilience and a Commitment to Holistic Justice

To our supporters,

We at Darfur Women Action Group mark this International Women’s Day by honoring the resilience, courage, and unwavering resolve of Sudanese women who continue to fight for justice in the face of unspeakable atrocities. We celebrate the brave women of Sudan for their unmatched strength and determination as they continue to rise, aiding their communities to survive, fight for their rights, and persist amid genocide, war, sexual violence, and displacement; all while the world looks away.

The Plight of Women in Sudan

For nearly three years, Sudan has been engulfed in a devastating war between SAF and RSF, where systemic violence at the hands of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has occurred. Indiscriminate attacks by both sides have resulted in death, destruction, and the displacement of over 13 million innocent civilians across Sudan, deepening the suffering, particularly in historically conflict-affected regions of Darfur and Kordofan. Sexual and gender-based violence remains a defining feature of this war, with rape systematically used as a weapon of war.

Recent reports have brought these horrific crimes to the global stage. Both the UN Fact Finding Mission and the  UN panel of experts reported that women in Sudan have been subjected to rape, sexual slaveray, abduction, ethnically targeted rape, and forced marriages – all perpetrated with total impunity; no perpetrators have been brought to justice. Through the middle of 2025, DWAG has documented over 350 cases of rape and sexual violence and more than 160 cases of reproductive emergencies among displaced women in Darfur. Most survivors remain in dire need of medical treatment, trauma counseling, and psychosocial support. The collapse of health systems in besieged areas has left women giving birth in unsafe, unhygienic conditions, with maternal mortality rising sharply and emergency care virtually nonexistent.

 While UN experts have documented at least 330 cases of conflict-related sexual violence since the beginning of 2025 alone, this number doesn’t do any justice to the countless women whose plight has yet to come to light, as the real numbers are believed to be far higher due to underreporting and fear of retaliation. 

The violence knows no age; survivors include girls as young as seven and women as old as 85. Medical sources report that more than 400 women and girls, including minors, were subjected to sexual violence while fleeing from El Fasher to Tawila, with dozens of pregnancies among minors. Over 12 million women and girls now face what humanitarian officials describe as “a crisis within a crisis.” 

We are extremely dismayed that many survivors have yet to receive services, including medical treatment, trauma counseling, and psychosocial support, and have yet to be protected.

The Courage of Sudanese Women Amid Abandonment

Despite the systemic problems and the mounting risks they have had to endure, grassroots and women-led organizations continue to be the lifeline for their people. When the war erupted, and international aid agencies evacuated Sudan, it was the women of Sudan, alongside volunteers and civil society leaders, who stepped up lifesaving efforts. They became frontline humanitarian workers, going out every day to deliver aid, document atrocities, and continuously work towards bringing the world’s attention to Sudan. However, they cannot sustain this work much longer without meaningful support from the global community. 

The crimes against women in Sudan are crimes of global magnitude that require global solidarity and concrete action. Yet critical gaps remain: women and girls have no safe spaces or access to emergency services, perpetrators operate with complete impunity, and women remain excluded from important decision-making, whether it’s humanitarian or peace processes, despite their central role in sustaining communities. Legal accountability remains a far-fetched hope for millions of Sudanese, particularly in Darfur.  With the level of the atrocities in Sudan and its impact on women, pursuing criminal justice is of utmost importance; however, delayed accountability alone is not enough. Survivors cannot wait years for justice while they continue to face insecurity, stigma, and economic hardship. 

We believe justice for the victims and accountability for perpetrators must start in the field and at the start of the crises, not in the end. This is why DWAG has adopted the Holistic Justice Model, a comprehensive framework that extends accountability beyond the court system to include protection, psychosocial support, rights to recovery, redress, economic empowerment, community restoration, and political participation. Justice must be immediate, inclusive, and grounded in the lived realities of survivors.

DWAG’s Commitment and Our Upcoming Event

During this month, DWAG is taking multiple initiatives to recondition both the plight and the resilience of the women of Sudan. To do so this week, DWAG president will be taking part in the Commission on the Status of Women CSW in NY during which she will be speaking in various high-level panels, bring delegation of women leaders, and conducting advocacy meetings with member states to urge for protection and accountability for crimes committed against women in Sudan.  As part of our ongoing efforts to bring attention to Sudan, advocate for their rights, and most importantly, elevate its voices on the global stage.  DWAG, in partnership with Women Advocacy and Development (WADI) and EMMA Organization for Human Development, will host a hybrid panel discussion on “Just Empowerment: Applying Holistic Justice for Women’s Protection and Empowerment” on March 11, 2026, at 1:00 PM EST at Room 2E, 730 3rd Avenue, New York. This CSW70 parallel event will feature outstanding civil society leaders and frontline defenders from the US, Sudan, and Iraq, who will share field-based lessons, survivor-informed approaches, and policy recommendations for implementing holistic justice frameworks in conflict-affected contexts.

Join Us in Taking Action

This month, we invite you to join us in celebrating the heroic and resilient women of Sudan by standing in solidarity and taking concrete action to end their suffering.

What you can do to help:

• Speak up- demand protections and accountability for perpetrators of crimes against women in Sudan
• Support our One Million Voices for Sudan Campaign by resharing our posts on social media using the hashtags #MillionVoicesForSudan #EyesOnSudan #SpeakForSudan.
• Donate to DWAG to help fund our efforts on the ground in Darfur and Sudan as a whole.
• Register to attend our March 11th panel discussion on holistic justice for women.

In the face of devastating atrocities, we must not let the women of Sudan fight alone. We must stand up not only to show solidarity but actions. Through our collective effort, we can empower, educate, and support women to fight for their rights and seek justice. We believe the women of Sudan have the power, but we must create an enabling environment for them to exercise it and promote an inclusive approach that prioritizes their inclusion and effective participation in all interventions for delivering humanitarian aid to, pursuing accountability, and achieving a just and lasting peace.

Thank you for your continued support.

With gratitude,

Niemat Ahmadi, Founder and President of Darfur Women Action Group