July 12, 2016.

The Sudanese No Oppression Against Women Initiative strongly denounces the Khartoum state Public Order Act.

According to Amira Osman, one of the founders of the Initiative,
“this law seems to designed to oppress women, violate their rights, and
offend their dignity in various ways, including flogging and
imprisonment for alleged indecent dressing”.

She told Radio Dabanga in Sunday that the organisation’s members did
not succeed to gain access to the 16 young women who were detained by
the Public Order police in Khartoum two weeks ago. The women, on an
outing with their relatives, were charged of wearing inappropriate
clothing.

Osman explained that the women were brought to trial the next day.
“They were sentenced to a number of lashes and the payment of a fine,
after which they were released. Yet, most of their families consider
their conviction a shame, and keep silent.”

The activist said that “the Initiative’s challenge is how to persuade
the families to learn about their rights and to confront the law that
violates the right of women to dress in freedom”.

Lawyer Amel El Zein, another leading member of the No Oppression
Against Women Initiative confirmed that the Public Order Act is “loose
and unclear,”she told this station.

“The law gives the police discretionary powers to be randomly used
for the oppression of women. The intent of the law is to intimidate
women and deprive them of participation in public life.”

Regarding the Khartoum state Commissioner’s decision to prevent women
from wearing trousers, El Zein commented that the local legislation is
one of the problems facing the citizens in the country. “The local
authorities have given legislative powers to the localities’
commissioners, who can now decide on laws contrary to the Constitution
and the national laws.”

Activist Sawsan El Shweya added that “all members of the Initiative
are continuously combating discrimination against women in Sudan. We are
advocating and lobbying against this oppression. The coming days will
show to what extent.”

SOURCE: Dabanga sudan