Western Sudan. These wars contributed to paralyzing social programs such as healthcare, education, sanitation and civil society institutions. In addition to prolonged inner conflicts, poverty and natural disaster forced a large part of the rural population to migrate to urban centers, especially to Khartoum. The deliberate eradication of Sudan’s diversity from social and cultural life, contributed to the increased discrimination and marginalization of certain groups in society, putting women from non-Arab, non-Muslim communities in a particularly vulnerable position. The general, social position of Sudanese women, particularly urban poor women, serves to add context to the following discussion on the reality of women’s earning opportunities in light of these dynamics.
SUDANESE LABOR LAW Women in Sudan are doubly restricted. Not only do they suffer labor market segregation but they also face occupational segregation, in which only some professions are considered appropriate for women.11 These restrictions follow gender stereotypes that stem from an understanding of gender difference in which the physical differences between men and women are presumed to translate into differences in their social and intellectual capacities.12 These limitations are often reflected in labor laws that draw the boundaries of women’s access to employment. Although the Islamist regime guaranteed women’s equal right to work and pay, several other government laws place considerable limitations on women’s economic agency, access and practice. The legal landscape proves contradictory; it recognizes women’s constitutional right to equal work, yet, it gives male guardians the authority to approve or reject work for female family members within the Muslim Family Law of 1991.13 Women must be given approval from husbands/fathers/ brothers prior to getting licensed for employment. This means that a woman’s economic fate is in the hands of her male guardians who are given the power to regulate the terms of a woman’s relationship to employment. Although women continue to bypass these laws and use their agency to achieve access, this contradiction in the law can act as a barrier to Sudanese women’s ability to gain meaningful employment in all its forms. According to the Sudanese Labor Law of 1997, there are two main restrictions placed on women’s work. First, women are prohibited from doing what is considered hazardous work Tønnessen, L. (2019). Women at work in Sudan: Marital privilege or constitutional right? Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society, 26(2), 223-244. 11
Hale S. (1997) Gender politics in Sudan: Islamism, socialism and the state. Boulder, CO: Westview Press
12
Tønnessen, L. (2019). Women at work in Sudan: Marital privilege or constitutional right? Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society, 26(2), 223-244. 13
Negotiating Space: Sudanese Women’s access to Vocational Education & Employment
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