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 slavery, 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 does not capture the countless women whose suffering remains unreported due to fear of retaliation and stigma.

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 essential services including medical treatment, trauma counseling, psychosocial support, and protection.

The Courage of Sudanese Women Amid Abandonment

Despite the systemic challenges and mounting risks they endure, grassroots and women-led organizations continue to be the lifeline for their communities. When the war erupted and international aid agencies evacuated Sudan, it was Sudanese women, alongside volunteers and civil society leaders, who stepped forward to provide lifesaving support.

They became frontline humanitarian workers, delivering aid, documenting atrocities, and continuously advocating to bring the world’s attention to Sudan. However, they cannot sustain this work much longer without meaningful global support.

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 lack safe spaces and emergency services, perpetrators operate with complete impunity, and women remain excluded from key humanitarian and peace processes despite their central role in sustaining communities.

Legal accountability remains a distant hope for millions of Sudanese, particularly in Darfur. While criminal justice is essential, delayed accountability alone is not enough. Survivors cannot wait years for justice while continuing to face insecurity, stigma, and economic hardship.

This is why DWAG has adopted the Holistic Justice Model, a comprehensive framework that extends accountability beyond the courtroom. It includes protection, psychosocial support, rights to recovery, 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

This month, DWAG is taking multiple initiatives to highlight both the plight and resilience of Sudanese women. DWAG’s president will participate in the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York, speaking on high-level panels, bringing a delegation of women leaders, and conducting advocacy meetings with member states to urge protection and accountability for crimes committed against women in Sudan.

As part of these efforts, DWAG — in partnership with Women Advocacy and Development (WADI) and EMMA Organization for Human Development — will host a hybrid panel discussion titled:

“Just Empowerment: Applying Holistic Justice for Women’s Protection and Empowerment”

The event will take place on March 11, 2026 at 1:00 PM EST at Room 2E, 730 3rd Avenue, New York, RVSP . This CSW70 parallel event will feature civil society leaders and frontline defenders from the US, Sudan, and Iraq sharing field-based lessons, survivor-centered approaches, and policy recommendations.

Join Us in Taking Action

This month, we invite you to stand in solidarity with the courageous women of Sudan and take action.

What you can do:

• Speak up and demand protection and accountability for crimes against women in Sudan.
• Support the One Million Voices for Sudan Campaign by sharing our posts using the hashtags #MillionVoicesForSudan #EyesOnSudan #SpeakForSudan.
• Donate to DWAG to support our work on the ground.
• Register for the March 11 panel discussion.

In the face of devastating atrocities, we must not let the women of Sudan fight alone. Through collective action, we can empower, support, and advocate for justice and lasting peace.

Thank you for your continued support.

With gratitude,

Niemat Ahmadi
Founder and President
Darfur Women Action Group