Increasing Access to Justice and Holistic Services for Survivors of Gender-Based Violence in Sudan

The Women and Girls Empowered (WAGE) program's Increasing Access to Justice and Holistic Services for Survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Sudan was a multi-disciplinary program aimed at improving prevention and response to GBV and violent extremism (VE) in Sudan. The initiative worked to strengthen civil society organizations’ (CSOs) commitment and capacity to provide holistic, survivor-centered services to women affected by GBV and VE and to understand and address potential linkages, if any, between GBV and VE. Led by the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) with technical support from Search for Common Ground, the initiative utilized an integrated approach to enhancing key stakeholders’ capacity. 

Women’s organizations in Sudan have the potential to transform the landscape for and represent the interests of women in Sudan, but many organizations lack resources or capacity to do so. WAGE believed that if Sudanese lawyers and civil society actors have increased commitment and capacity to provide holistic services to women affected by GBV and VE; to understand and address GBV and VE through community-driven initiatives; and to understand the linkages, if any, between GBV and VE, then women and girls will be better protected from GBV and VE, and impunity for GBV will decrease.

The program's central goals were:

• Empower women-focused CSOs and women leaders to address GBV and VE through community-driven initiatives.
• Enhance GBV service provider capacity and increase access to quality response services for GBV survivors.

On April 15, 2023, Sudan descended into armed conflict, and WAGE subsequently suspended all project activities. Our staff and partners were highly affected, with many trapped in the nation’s capital of Khartoum, while others had to flee to other cities or countries. As such, Search and ABA ROLI were not able to conduct women-led initiatives in Kassala and White Nile, facilitate training to lawyers and paralegals in providing legal aid, organize community education and awareness sessions about GBV services, nor conduct the final monitoring activities. However, ABA ROLI repurposed some program funds to help meet the immediate needs of staff on the ground to ensure their safety and security were prioritized amid the crisis.