Women and War #1

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A day in the life of women in Sudan & Yemen in times of war

‘Women and War’ – mini-series within the Ibn Rushd Lectures

War brings violence and traumatic experiences for everyone. For women, however, there is gender-specific violence in addition to the general violence. According to a report by the UN Secretary-General, women are increasingly at risk in conflicts but underrepresented in peace processes. More than 600 million women and girls were living in conflict-affected countries in 2022, an increase of 50 per cent compared to 2017. Civilian populations around the world need more humanitarian aid than ever before – but countries are increasing their military spending instead. How does war specifically affect women, how do women live in crisis areas, what are their survival strategies? These and other questions will be the focus of our mini-series Women and War.

Women and War #1

A day in the life of women in Sudan & Yemen in times of war

The ongoing wars in Yemen and Sudan have had and continue to have a devastating impact on women, exacerbating existing vulnerabilities and often making access to healthcare almost impossible. According to a United Nations report, the conflict in Yemen has led to a dramatic increase in gender-based violence: over 80% of women have been subjected to some form of violence.

Similarly, the conflict in Sudan has led to widespread human rights violations against women. Sexualised violence, including rape and forced marriage, has increased significantly and, according to Amnesty International, significantly more incidents of sexualised violence have been reported, often targeted as a means of intimidation and control.

Severe economic and social upheaval caused by war further exacerbates the plight of women. Displacement and the destruction of infrastructure hinder social participation in many ways – access to education and healthcare is almost completely prevented, and it is considerably more difficult for women to earn their own income, which would reduce their dependence on male-dominated structures.

The international community’s response to this disenfranchisement and marginalisation has been widely criticised as inadequate and calls have been made for more effective and sustainable intervention. The ongoing crises in Yemen and Sudan emphasise the urgent need for comprehensive strategies to protect women and safeguard their rights in conflicts.

Eman Alethary from Yemen and Ishraga Mustafa Hamid from Sudan will analyse the impact of the wars on their home countries and discuss the extent to which existing vulnerabilities and structural discrimination and marginalisation have been exacerbated, but also the strategies women have developed to deal with them in their daily lives and to survive. The event will be moderated by Hoda Saleh.

Event in German without translation; as always, questions and contributions to the discussion are also possible in English and Arabic, we will translate as best we can

The event ‘Women and War #1: Sudan and Yemen’ is sponsored by the Anna Lindh Foundation as part of the common action of the German Anna Lindh Network ‘Mediterranean on the Spot’

The series ‘Women and War’ is curated by Cora Josting and Amany Alsiefy, Ibn Rushd Fund eV

Friday 8 November 2024

7 pm

Interkulturanstalten ‘Ulme 35’

Ulmenallee 35

14050 Berlin-Westend

Dr Eman Alethary is a writer and currently a lecturer at Humboldt University Berlin. She holds a PhD in Arabic Language and Literature from Ain Shams University in Egypt and has been a prominent representative of Yemeni women at numerous literary and cultural events throughout her career. In 2004, the Yemeni Ministry of Culture published her first book of poetry, Perhaps I Have Perceived a Fire. Her second volume of poetry, Prostration in the Sanctuaries of Victory, was published by the General Book Organisation in 2010. In both works, Alezary paints a masterful picture of the ongoing conflicts in the Arab world through powerful language and vivid imagery.
Her novel ‘Magic Cube of Destiny’ was recently published in German and tells the story of a woman affected by two simultaneous wars, including the war in her home country.

Dr Ishraqa Mustafa Hamid fled from Sudan to Austria after the military coup in 1989 and has lived in Vienna since 1993, where she studied journalism and political science and completed her doctorate in 2006 on African women’s liberation processes. She is active as a writer, in migrant organisations and as a representative for Arabic literature in the Austrian PEN Club. She also teaches at the University of Vienna, runs a writing workshop and was a co-founder of the Black Women’s Community in Vienna. Virginia Woolf and Malkat al-Dar Muhammad influenced her feminist literary self-image.Her publications include works on women, violence, discrimination and war, including ‘Sudanese Women Against Violence’ (2022) and ‘Healing Through Writing: Survivors of the Sudanese War’ (2024).

Dr Hoda Salah is a political scientist and Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Islamic Studies at Kiel University. She is currently researching the generations of Islamism. She has published numerous articles on feminism, Islamism, revolution and political and social taboos in the Arab world, particularly in the context of sexuality and religion. Her book ‘Partizipation von Frauen am Islamismus’ was published by Springer Wissenschaftsverlag in 2019. During the Arab revolutions, she worked as a freelance academic journalist in Egypt and Germany. She is also a lecturer in political education and a trainer for women’s empowerment.


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