SuWEP celebrating International Women's Day 2012

Connecting girls inspiring futures

Each year around the world, the International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on the 8th of March. Hundreds of events occurred not only on this day but throughout March to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women.

Organizations, governments and women's groups around the world choose different theme each year that reflect the global and local women issues to make a stand point.

For the past three years Salmmah and SuWEP hosted and coordinated the IWD. This year preparations for the event started early January 2012. In Salmmah’s regular planning meeting the overall framework of celebrating the event was made afterwards an event committee was assigned for the daily follow up. Other organizations were invited by the committee since the beginning to take part on all the coming steps.

 SuWEP through the support of Cordaid and Salmmah were the main budget holders. The event targeted women and men in the community in general, civil society organizations, UN ageneses, embassies and other stakeholders.

 This year, Salmmah and SuWEP included many women’s organizations and involve the general public in the celebrations. The event aims to promote solidarity and develop Sudanese women's sense of initiative and creativity. It reaches to strengthen cooperation, and increase consciousness of common issues in the spirit of celebrating IWD.

Objective:

·         To raise the general public awareness of women's rights and draw their attention to the ongoing struggle for equal rights;

·         To enhance the positive participation of young people especially adolescent girls in the campaign for women’s rights;

·         To create an enabling environment for civil society organizations and local women groups to strengthen partnerships and alliances.

 Project results

The event was successfully implemented and it showed great solidarity between all partners.   

This year SuWEP and Salmmah through its youth programme which was designed in 2005 to train and build up the capacities of Sudanese youth on women and human rights related issues, and as a consequence of its activities. Salmmah’s Friends group brings together committed university students, and graduates; and other likeminded individuals who share the same vision and values of Salmmah this event offered the opportunity for them to leverage the strength of their collective voices, expertise and resources to create and increase social equity for Sudanese women. The event created new connection between the youth groups and Sudanese civil society organizations and associations; it also offered channels for the youth to promote their talents.

The event had given exposure to the idea of celebrating the international women day in the community, and also made it easier for human right groups to advocate and promote for other human right treaties.

SuWEP and Salmmah having celebrating the event on an annual basis have open channels of communications with the authorities that resulted in easier processes of permission and license for the event.