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Fahima Hashim

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Fahima Hashim (Arabic: فهيمة هاشم) is a Sudanese human rights activist focusing on women's issues. The co-founder of the Salmmah Women's Resource Centre, she served as its director from 2005 until its dissolution by the Sudanese government in 2014, and currently continues her activism from Canada, where she sought refuge in 2014.

Personal life

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Hashim studied psychology at Ahfad University for Women in Omdurman, Sudan.[1] She went on to obtain a master's degree in documentation and library studies at Bayero University Kano in Nigeria, graduating in 1994.[1][2]

In 2014, Hashim fled Sudan with her daughter and sought asylum in Canada, subsequently settling in Ottawa. In 2022, she returned to Sudan, but left the following year following the outbreak of a civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces; as of 2023, she lives in Canada.[3]

Activism

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Salmmah Women's Resource Centre (1997–2014)

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Hashim was one of the co-founders of the Salmmah Women's Resource Centre (Arabic: مركز سالمة لدراسات المرأة, romanized: Markaz Sālimah li-Dirāsāt al-Marʼah), based in Khartoum. The organisation offered outreach work to women and young people on feminist issues and topics, with the aim to empower particularly women to overcome structural, political and legal barriers within Sudan to participate in civil society. In addition, Salmmah also contributed to documenting and researching women's rights and issues facing women in contemporary Sudan with international organisations and charities.[4][5][6] While Salmmah was based in Khartoum, it carried out work in all of Sudan's states, including those within South Sudan prior to its independence in 2011.[7] Hashim served as Salmmah's director from 2005 until 2014.[8]

Following the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005 between the Sudan People's Liberation Movement and the Sudanese government, Hashim felt more able to publicly advocate for and achieve changes to Sudanese laws that directly impacted women.[9] In 2009, Salmmah began advocating for the reform of the 1991 Criminal Law, which equated rape to adultery by treating it as extramarital sex, resulting in rapists getting more lenient punishments.[10][11] In addition, Hashim also publicly campaigned against the 1991 Public Order Law, which prevented women from wearing trousers or dressing "immodestly"; for a reform of Sudan's penal code, which legalised "cruel" forms of punishments for women, such as stoning; and for an increase in the legal age for marriage to enable girls to focus on their education.[8][10][12] While some of these laws were subsequently repealed or amended, Hashim subsequently criticised Sudanese authorities for not wholly implementing the new laws or guidelines on issues such as women's dress and child marriage.[13]

Hashim played a lead organising role in marches and demonstrations promoting women's rights, including leading Khartoum's annual International Women's Day celebrations, as well as events for One Billion Rising and the 16 Days of Action Against Gender Violence.[10] Following the passing of the 2005 Organisation of Humanitarian and Voluntary Work Act, which severely restricted human rights organisations in Sudan, Hashim was able to get financial support from international agencies to help with the costs of running Salmmah, including a $120, 000 grant from the Ford Foundation in 2008.[14][15]

Hashim faced hostility from Sudanese authorities, and was interrogated several times during her tenure at Salmmah, which was believed to be due to her public criticism and reporting on crimes committed by soldiers during the War in Darfur, including the use of rape as a weapon of war.[16][15][17] In March 2014, authorities banned Hashim and Salmmah from holding their annual International Women's Day March in Khartoum.[7][18]

On 24 June 2014, state authorities attend Salmmah's centre in Khartoum and asked for its employees to cease all work.[10] A decree from the Ministry of Justice announced that Salmmah's registration as a non-profit company had been revoked, prompting its immediate dissolution.[19] The decree did not provide a reason for the decision, though Hashim believed the decision stemmed from the National Intelligence and Security Service, and it has been hypothesised that the decision was made after Hashim gave a speech about the situation for women in Sudan at the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence and Conflict in London, United Kingdom.[8][12][20] The decision to close Salmmah was criticised by Women Living Under Muslim Laws as a "violation of the right of civil society to exercise their constitutional right to freedom of expression" as enshrined in the Constitution of Sudan.[12] The Confederation of Sudanese Civil Society Organisations described the closure of Salmmah as an "attack on civil society".[21]

Subsequent activism (2014–present)

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Following Salmmah's closure, a new organisation, SWRC, was established to carry on Salmmah's legacy through supporting young people to contribute to social justice movements in Sudan.[22] Shortly after Salmmah's closure, the President of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir, accused Hashim of "destroying the fabric of Sudanese society", and she subsequently fled the country with her daughter, seeking refuge in Canada. In 2015, Hashim became a visiting scholar at the Feminist Research Centre at York University in Toronto.[1]

After the fall of al-Bashir in 2019, Hashim publicly spoke about wishing to return to Sudan, which she did in 2022, though she was forced to flee the country and return to Canada the following year following the outbreak of the War in Sudan. From Canada, Hashim supported activists to leave Sudan, through supporting with visa applications, and fundraising money to cover transports, rent, and food costs.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Fahima Hashim". Interview Her. Archived from the original on 21 September 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  2. ^ "Victors, Not Victims: Women Driving Social Change and Striving for Peace in Conflict Zones". Skoll Foundation. 29 March 2012. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  3. ^ a b Wadekar, Neha (4 August 2023). "The women who helped bring down Sudan's dictator hoped it would end discrimination against them. Instead, they're fighting for their lives". The Fuller Project. Archived from the original on 11 November 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  4. ^ "Salmmah Women's Resource Centre, Khartoum". Women Living Under Muslim Laws. Archived from the original on 6 September 2015. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  5. ^ "Arab Coalition for Sudan condemns closure of women's centre". Dabanga. 1 July 2014. Archived from the original on 12 February 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  6. ^ "Salmmah Women's Resource Centre". Inter Pares. Archived from the original on 30 October 2015. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  7. ^ a b "فهيمة هاشم مديرة مركز سالمة:منع الاحتفال بيوم المرأة خير شاهد على سياسة القمع التى تمارسها الحكومة" [Fahima Hashem, Director of the Salmmah Center: Preventing the celebration of Women’s Day is the best evidence of the government’s policy of repression]. Altaghyeer (in Arabic). 10 March 2014. Archived from the original on 25 February 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  8. ^ a b c Tønnessen, Liv; Al-Nagar, Samia (15 June 2021). "Legal Mobilization to Protect Women against Rape in Islamist Sudan". Cahiers d'Études Africaines. LXI (242): 355–376. doi:10.4000/etudesafricaines.34279. ISSN 0008-0055. S2CID 236283393. Archived from the original on 25 February 2024 – via Open Edition.
  9. ^ "Meet Fahima Hashim, Sudan". Nobel Women's Initiative. 10 December 2020. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  10. ^ a b c d "Inter Pares strongly condemns the closing of Salmmah Women's Center in Sudan". Inter Pares. 25 June 2014. Archived from the original on 29 October 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  11. ^ Jaffer, Mobina (1 November 2019). "Treatment of Gender Violence in Sudan and Especially Darfur". The Honourable Mobina S.B. Jaffer, K.C. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  12. ^ a b c "WLUML condemns the shutdown of Sudan's Salmmah Women's Resource Centre". Women Living Under Muslim Laws. 27 June 2014. Archived from the original on 23 September 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  13. ^ "مدافعات حقوقيات يطالبن المجتمع الدولي بالتحرك لحماية النساء السودانيات من العنف الجنسي" [Women human rights defenders call on the international community to take action to protect Sudanese women from sexual violence]. UN News (in Arabic). 4 November 2023. Archived from the original on 25 February 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  14. ^ "105264 - Salmmah Women Resource Centre". Ford Foundation. Archived from the original on 25 February 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  15. ^ a b Hashim, Fahima (January 2007). "Sudanese women acting to end sexual violence". Forced Migration Review. Archived from the original on 30 November 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  16. ^ Adeba, Brian (26 September 2007). "Two Activists Take Their Own Hard Line on Improving Women's Rights in Sudan" (PDF). Embassy. p. 25. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 August 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  17. ^ "The contributions of women activists to progress and reform". Nobel Women's Initiative. Archived from the original on 30 November 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  18. ^ "Sudanese authorities close women's rights centre". Sudan Tribune. 26 June 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  19. ^ "Communication report". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Archived from the original on 25 February 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  20. ^ "SUDAN: Sudan Shuts Women's Rights Centre Without Explanation". PeaceWomen. 24 June 2014. Archived from the original on 20 November 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  21. ^ Elnazir, Elbarag (25 June 2014). "Attacks on Civil Society continue in Sudan with closure of Salmmah Women's Resource Centre". Sudanese Online. Archived from the original on 25 February 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  22. ^ "SWRC". Inter Pares. Archived from the original on 20 February 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
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