1956 – Sudanese Women Protest for Independence

On May 30, 1956, women in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, organized one of the earliest mass demonstrations calling for full independence and gender equality in the new republic. Just months after Sudan’s official independence from Anglo-Egyptian rule, Sudanese women demanded that their voices be included in the nation’s political future. This protest marked the beginning of a sustained campaign by Sudanese feminists against colonial hangovers and gender apartheid. Often overlooked, this moment in African women’s history was groundbreaking—placing Sudanese women at the heart of both national liberation and the broader Pan-African feminist movement. May 30 remains a day of historic pride in Sudanese civil society, highlighting how women, often marginalized in official accounts, have played central roles in shaping African modernity and democracy. The protest’s legacy continues to inspire generations of Black feminist organizers across the continent.