UPR Sexual Rights Database

National Report:
Para 24) The State has continued to reform and develop domestic legislation by amending existing provisions or passing new ones, in line with obligations arising from international instruments and with a view to promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms. Since the submission of its second report, the State has issued the Constitutional Document for the transitional period in addition to a number of pieces of legislation, as follows: … (b) … • Criminalizing and punishing the practice of female genital mutilation (art. 141 (a) of the Criminal Code);
Para 94) (e) Female genital mutilation has been made a criminal offence under article 141 (a) of the Criminal Code as amended in 2020, and the Personal Status Act is being reviewed to bring it into line with international standards concerning age of marriage;

UN Compilation:
Para 48) The United Nations country team noted that, despite the recent adoption by the Sudan of a law criminalizing female genital mutilation, the prevalence of that harmful practice was alarming, with over 80 per cent of women nationwide subjected to it, reaching around 90 per cent in 7 of the 18 Sudanese states.

National Report:
Para 54) As part of its continuing efforts to ensure universal access to basic education, the State adopted its education strategy 2007–2031. The strategy aims to reduce disparities in quality and to increase the level of education among girls, focusing particularly upon nomads and displaced persons. Five-year educational plans have also been rolled out, which emphasize the importance of generalizing basic education, increasing rates of completion, reducing dropout and training teachers.
Para 64) The 2017 primary school enrolment rate and annual trends both show a significant disparity between girls and boys, depending upon the state. In fact, the overall enrolment rate for boys stands at 75 per cent while for girls it is 71 per cent. However, in most states the gap between boys and girls is small.
Para 71) One State initiative in the area of education has been the education strategy 2007– 2031. A five-year educational plan has also been rolled out, which emphasizes the importance of generalizing basic education, increasing rates of completion, reducing dropout, training teachers and creating new classrooms in order to address admission disparities.
Para 72) A strategy has been developed which aims to reduce disparities in quality and to increase the level of education among girls, focusing particularly upon nomads and displaced persons.

UN Compilation:
Para 45) The United Nations country team noted that the efforts of the Sudan to implement universal basic education had been undermined by low retention and high dropout rates as a result of early marriage, the distance children had to travel to schools and the high opportunity cost of attending school, among other reasons.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 67) Egypt Peace observed that most families did not allow their daughters to get an education as they believed that women should be a housewife. These traditions are affecting the girl’s rights to education. As a result, the primary school enrolment rate of girls is still lower than that of boys, and there is also a large literacy gap between boys and girls. It also noted that there are only 12% of female teachers in schools …

National Report:
Para 22) Sudan is in the process of ratifying the following instruments: • CEDAW (1979);
Para 24) The State has continued to reform and develop domestic legislation by amending existing provisions or passing new ones, in line with obligations arising from international instruments and with a view to promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms. Since the submission of its second report, the State has issued the Constitutional Document for the transitional period in addition to a number of pieces of legislation, as follows: … (b) … • Criminalizing and punishing the practice of female genital mutilation (art. 141 (a) of the Criminal Code);
Para 85) In recognition of the efforts the Government has made in this connection, in February 2019 UNESCO awarded its Prize in Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts to the National Council for Child Welfare for the success of the Saleema initiative to end female genital mutilation.
Para 89) Social support is being provided to midwives and they are being given their own projects to run in order to improve their income and encourage them to abandon harmful traditional practices.
Para 93) In order to raise the general level of awareness among security services and the judiciary regarding domestic and sexual violence and female genital mutilation, security and judicial officials have received training, both in Sudan and abroad, on the subject of violence against women and children.
Para 94) (e) Female genital mutilation has been made a criminal offence under article 141 (a) of the Criminal Code as amended in 2020, and the Personal Status Act is being reviewed to bring it into line with international standards concerning age of marriage; (f) A strategy to end female genital mutilation 2021–2030 has been drafted and is currently in the final stages of approval, and a proposal has been made to include that issue in the school curriculum.

UN Compilation:
Para 48) The United Nations country team noted that, despite the recent adoption by the Sudan of a law criminalizing female genital mutilation, the prevalence of that harmful practice was alarming, with over 80 per cent of women nationwide subjected to it, reaching around 90 per cent in 7 of the 18 Sudanese states.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 71) The Helena Kennedy Centre for international Justice noted that Sudan has one of the highest rates of FGM in the world: It is reported that 88% of women aged 15-49 have been cut.