Two Activists Take Their Own Hard Line on Improving Women's Rights in Sudan

Excerpt:

“Since a hard line Islamic government led by President Omar El Bashir came to power, women’s rights in Sudan have been significantly eroded. The first thing Mr. El Bashir did after grabbing power in a military coup was purge the civil service, educational institutions and the army of anyone who was not a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. Ms. Hashim says women bore the brunt of the purge, with 80 per cent of them losing their jobs. As the new government pursued economic liberalization, girls’ education and maternal health care were hit hard by budget cuts. ‘The gains that Sudanese women had made in the 1960s and the 1970s were reduced considerably.’”