No to Women's Oppression Initiative was established in 2009, in the aftermath of increased police and security harassment against women in Sudan. In particular, the initiative was sparked by the incident of police forces arresting Sudanese female journalist Lubna Hussein for wearing trousers and accusing her of a violation of the Sharia based public order act. In response to that incident and several other women rights violations, women activists in Sudan organised to fight against the Public Order Law and unlawful abuses against women in Sudan.
The No to Women's Oppression initiative was formed to advance cooperation and solidarity through collective response to violations of women rights in Sudan, and fight all kinds of abuse facing women because of their gender.
Activities
Monitoring violations
Their team monitors the women's human rights violations in the country particularly the incidents of public order law based police arrests, violations of rights in Sudan's conflict regions and other unlawful violations against women. They take immediate actions supporting and standing with victims of incidents reported through our monitors.
Advocacy and awareness raising campaign
The initiative organises advocacy campaigns supporting victims through protests during the court hearings, press releases, and reports. They also conduct outreach and workshops empowering women to exercise their rights and resist the unjust laws.
Legal aid and specific need support
They provide volunteer lawyers to present victims in court and support their cases. They also conduct fundraising within their network to provide any financial requirements to certain cases. They also visit prisons and monitor the situation of women particularly the victims of public order law such as local alcohol brewers and tea sellers.
Finance and other resources
No to Women's Oppression has not received any fund from any entities so far. They mainly depend on contributions form their members and families. They also implement several programs in partnership with other organisations working in the areas of interest.
