Mapping Study of Actors Working to Eliminate Violence against Women and Girls in Khartoum State

The main objective of this mapping study is to identify all stakeholders working in the area of protection, prevention, and response to Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) in Khartoum State in order to inform the interventions of the Civil Society Organizations (CSO) Forum on EVAWG and support the establishment of a referral system for survivors. The study was carried out by a team of researchers at Ahfad University for Women in Khartoum with the financial support of UN Women Sudan.

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Enabling Universal and Equitable Access to Healthcare for Vulnerable People in Resource Poor Settings in Sudan

Written by Dr. Ahmed Gamal Eldin, Dr. Shahla Eltayeb, Prof. Nafisa Mohamed Bedri, Prof. Balghis Badri, Dr. Amani Elkhatim, Prof. Mutamad Amin.

This report presents the findings from phase 1 of WP3. The aim of WP3 is to investigate the experience of health service users, non-users and health service providers. Phase 1 has focused mainly on users and providers, while phase 2 (to be conducted after WP4) will focus primarily on health service non-users. The report will also highlight the connection between findings from WP2 and WP3 and provide policy recommendations.
This report will first analyze how the needs of vulnerable groups are being met in the Sudanese health system by examining policies, perceptions of health and disability among vulnerable groups and services providers, perceptions of the
health care system among vulnerable groups and services providers and the on the ground realities of access to health care services and resources. The findings were principally that the Sudanese health care system exists very differently in reality that it does in policy, that it is under resourced and understaffed and that there is little political will to do anything about these facts.

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Written by Balghis Badri, Ahmed Gamal Eldin, Shahla El Tayeb, Nafisa Badri, Ammani El Khatem.

The EquitAble project focuses on the challenges that disabled people present to achieving universal and equitable access to healthcare in resource poor settings.

The overall project is organized into the following Work Packages (WP): Work Package 1 - Project Management, Work Package 2 - Review and Analyses of International and National Health Policies, Work Package 3 - Intensive Qualitative Studies of Activity Limitations and Access to Healthcare, Work Package 4 -Extensive Quantitative Studies of Activity Limitations and Access to Healthcare, Work Package 5 -Influencing Policy and Practice and Dissemination. This report presents the findings from phase 1 of WP3.

The aim of WP3 is to investigate the experience of health service users, non-users and health service providers. Phase 1 has focused mainly on users and providers, while phase 2 (to be conducted after WP4) will focus primarily on health service non-users. The report will also highlight the connection between findings from WP2 and WP3, and provide policy recommendations.

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Written by Balghis Badri.

This paper underlines AUW’s experience and role in the new millennium. It is divided into three sections. Section one is on the new role of universities. Section two reflects on AUW’s role in the new millennium by providing information on AUW’s structure, programmes, experiences and best practices. Furthermore, lessons learned are tackled. Section three is on the Humboldt-Ahfad link programme as a detailed example of the internationalization process that can contribute to the role of universities in the new millennium.

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Written by Balghis Badri.

It is crucial to begin our analysis with a definition of the term Sharia law and its sources and principles. Sharia law is the Muslim jurisprudence from which specific different types of family, penal, civil, labour, economic and monetary law can be derived.

The main two sources of Sharia law are the Qur’an and the Sunna. Muslims believe the Qur’an to be the word of God revealed to the Prophet Mohammed. The Qur’an as Islam’s holy book can be split into different parts. The part that contains most of its verses aims at convincing the non-believers, of the time the Qur’an was written in particular, of the concept of believing in the One God and the afterlife with its consequences of punishment in hell or reward in paradise. Many verses deal with how a “good” Muslim should behave by worshipping God, by oneself, and in relation to other people, especially other Muslims.

The Qur’an contains detailed stories about other prophets, the support of believers and the resistance of non-believers. There are verses that order Muslims to abstain from certain behaviour and actions and to practise others, while yet other verses recommend and commend behaviour to be followed.

The Sunna as the other source of Islamic teachings is the words or sayings by the Prophet or his doings, which mainly elaborate on what was revealed in the Qur’an, but also include other issues that need to be discussed according to ambiguous contents or in answer to queries of his followers. Hence, the main characteristic of Islam is that it is a religion that demands active faith of observance and practice. It is human-centred and emphasizes ideal human relations and behaviour. It is embedded in a call for communalism and social justice with degrees of individualism in property holding and in legal and faith responsibilities. It is not characterized by emphasizing dichotomies of duality but rather by triple or quadruple classifications.

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