UPR Sexual Rights Database

National Report:
Para 94) (c) The State has adopted a national strategy to prevent child marriage, which is part of its national strategy for children 2018–2030. In addition to this, a national action plan to end child marriage in Sudan, rolled out in November 2017, has been updated for the period 2021–2031. The plan uses as its baseline a regional assessment of child marriage conducted by UNICEF in 2016; (d) A bill to combat violence against women has been drafted, which includes provisions prohibiting early marriage. In addition, a ministerial committee has been set up to review legislation and laws on women and to address any loopholes;

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 78) The Helena Kennedy Centre for international Justice noted that most women are married young, with the legal age for marriage being 10 years old, when a girl is tamyeez (Mature), with the permission of an elder. In a survey undertaken by Dabanga, it was reported that a third of the female population in Sudan aged between 20 and 24 were married by the age of 18, despite having ratified the CRC.

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 77) The State has developed its national strategy to combat violence against women 2015– 2030.
Para 94) (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.

National Report:
Para 106) In cooperation with UNICEF the Government has launched the "Salima" campaign which is a social media initiative designed to prevent female genital mutilation. It focuses on bringing about change in society rather than in the individual, making change socially acceptable and disseminating knowledge and awareness about the harmful effects of female genital mutilation.

Para 107) The National Council for Child Welfare, in cooperation with the National Council for Strategic Planning, drafted the national strategy 2008-2018 to prevent female genital mutilation in the Sudan. The aim of the strategy is to build capacity in institutions and in civil society, and to develop skills in society as a whole in order to help people to abandon this practice. Goals of the strategy include ... raising awareness in society ... The implementation of the strategy is proceeding as planned.

UN Compilation:
Para 36) UNESCO noted the strategy to eliminate female genital mutilation. It appeared, however, that the Sudan had not taken further steps to prohibit the practice and educate the women on their rights.