My name is Nada Mustafa Mohammad Ali. I am originally from Sudan. I was born in Atbara [Sudan], 300 kilometers North of Khartoum. This is one of the main cities where the uprising erupted in December 2018. Schools and children actually organized protests. It is a city that is known for it’s activism.
I’ve always been interested in questions around social justice and gender equality.
My late father was an avid reader and I always had books around the house that discussed these issues. So I read extensively as a child and as a teenager and afterwards as well.
My late mother always described herself and her generation as the generation who liberated Sudanese women. Of course that generation introduced reform in Sudan. But they didn’t really contribute to changing the situation of women in terms of legal reform, in terms of women’s right to work.
Women have always been active in their own ways in Sudan. Activism and resistance can be really subtle. Just a meeting around coffee or tea in somebody’s house. It always generated very interesting discussions around the situation of women, around the political situation, about the economy and its impact on each household. Women had been affected in really severe ways by the policies of the former regime.
Women played a key role in the December [2018] uprising. They were part of the resistance groups. Within neighborhood groups women were active in protests. Women outside of Sudan also were well organized. They advocated, lobbied various governments. They organized fundraising campaigns and were involved in other ways in highlighting some of the issues that affect the people of Sudan and the women of Sudan as well.
These protests did not actually start in December 2018. That was when the protests accelerated for various reasons, including the severe economic crisis and its impact on the population. [The protest] actually built on the struggles of the Sudanese people for the past 30 years, and even before that. It’s also built on the resistance of people in the so-called marginalized areas of Sudan, the war-affected areas.
I’ve been observing the situation unfolding very closely as an activist, but also as a researcher. I think access to justice is really important during this time. What this really means to me is that there is an opening where women’s organizations, other social movements can really work on developing visions and working towards really true change and transformation in Sudan.
I’ve been speaking with people, diverse individuals in different places; women activists, but also young boys who work in open markets in Sudan, fish sellers, rickshaw drivers, street children. I’ve been speaking to them about their dreams and what they want for Sudan. For many, just like me, we’re very, very proud of the fact that the people of Sudan have led this revolution or this important uprising. But also for many people it’s really about access to education, to healthcare. It’s about addressing the economic [situation]
I think what keeps me motivated, changes actually. It’s not something that’s really fixed. But I want for the Sudanese people to have the kind of country and society and polity that we deserve. Nada Mustafa Ali; Activist, Professor, Scholar, Khartoum, Sudan
Images by Salih Basheer