Daring to Dream: Celebrating the Gender Centre's 10th Anniversary
"Since we created the Gender Centre in 1997, we have never prevented ourselves from working on sensitive issues such as sexual violence against women or engaging with policy makers to promote women's rights, because these are the very reasons why we came together." Asha, Neimat, Omaima, Ahmed, Mariam and other colleagues speak passionately about their history as they prepare for a series of special events to mark the Gender Centre's 10th anniversary.
The Gender Centre works to foster broad debate within Sudanese society on the right of women to equality and active citizenship by documenting and speaking out about women's oppression. This is not easy, given the constraints women face in their daily lives. In Sudan, society still denies the existence of violence against women even though 90 percent of women are victims of female genital mutilation, a divorced woman cannot walk down the street unaccompanied, and sexuality is so taboo that youth pregnancy can lead to jail time.
Caroline Boudreau, second from right, and some of the Gender Centre team.
In a country affected by decades of conflict, the Gender Centre is building a new perspective on peace by bringing together women from different tribes, ethnicities, and regions to claim their central role in promoting and implementing any future peace process.
Members of the Gender Centre lead by example in showing how women can overcome ideological divisions to strengthen their voices within a political system that completely marginalizes them. They engage with Sudanese NGOs and activists, women and men from political parties, young people, internally displaced people, lawyers, journalists, community leaders, and international allies.
Inter Pares congratulates the Gender Centre on this milestone anniversary.
In addition to the generous support of our donors, Inter Pares gratefully acknowledges the support and assistance of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the Roncalli International Foundation and the Canadian Auto Workers Union (CAW) Social Justice Fund, which have all contributed to the work of the Gender Centre.
| Reviewed June 11, 2007 |  |
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