Women Advisory Group Sudan

Sudan is facing one of the world’s most complex and rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crises, marked by mass displacement, escalating violence, economic collapse, and widespread protection risks. Women and girls are disproportionately affected—experiencing heightened levels of conflict-related violence, food insecurity, exploitation, displacement and barriers to accessing lifesaving assistance. Yet, their leadership and meaningful participation, analysis, and community-based response efforts remain central to sustaining families, networks of care, and frontline humanitarian action.

To ensure that the Sudan humanitarian response is informed by the realities, priorities, and expertise of Sudanese and refugee women in Sudan themselves, the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) co-established the Women’s Advisory Group (WAG) with the Sudanese women humanitarian leaders. This mechanism provides a formal channel and dedicated, structured platform for Sudanese women humanitarians and women-led organizations (WLOs) to directly advise the Humanitarian Coordinator and the HCT.

Modeled and building on upon successful WAGs in Northwest Syria and Afghanistan—with demonstrated impact on gender-responsive programming, community engagement, and local women’s strategic decision-making—the Sudan WAG strengthens the inclusiveness, accountability, and relevance of the humanitarian architecture. Through regular engagement with affected women across states, the WAG brings forward real-time gender analysis, protection concerns, access barriers, and priorities that shape collective humanitarian decisions.

By institutionalizing women’s leadership at the highest level of the coordination system, the WAG ensures that the voices and rights of women and girls and women led organizations are not only heard but drive effective humanitarian strategy and action in Sudan.

The HCT Sudan WAG aims to:

• Provide expert analysis and advice to the HCT to shape humanitarian strategies, policies, and operational priorities.
• Amplify the voices of Sudanese women and WLOs by ensuring their perspectives are reflected in humanitarian planning and decision-making.
• Strengthen protection and empowerment of women and girls through evidence-based recommendations.
• Monitor and assess humanitarian impacts on women and girls, providing feedback for improved accountability.
• Promote gender-responsive programming across sectors by identifying risks, gaps, and emerging trends

The WAG is composed of a diverse group of Sudanese and refugee women leaders operating within Sudan providing humanitarian assistance to at-risk communities, including:

• Representatives from women-led and feminist civil society organizations;
• Community responders working across protection, food security, health, and access;
• Women with lived experience of conflict and displacement from across Darfur, Kordofan, Khartoum, Central Sudan and Eastern states;
• Feminist, gender equality humanitarian experts and practitioners serving in their individual capacity.

Members are selected through a transparent application process to ensure geographic, thematic, and organizational diversity and inclusivity, and participate as independent voices representing intersectional perspectives of women and girls and women led organizations across Sudan.

• Women’s Advisory Group (WAG) Terms of Reference (ToR) – Defines the mandate, objectives, membership criteria, and operational modalities of the WAG.
• WAG Official Statements – Public statements and advocacy messages issued by the WAG on key protection and humanitarian issues affecting women and girls in Sudan.
• Consultation Reports – Summaries of state-level and thematic consultations conducted with women and women-led organizations across Sudan, reflecting real-time needs, trends, and priorities.
• Gender Analysis & Snapshots – Evidence and analytical products developed by or with the WAG, in collaboration with the Sudan National Gender in Humanitarian Action Working Group (GiHA WG), to support strategic and operational planning.
• ERC Four Commitments to Sudanese Women Humanitarians – Key system-wide commitments by the Emergency Relief Coordinator to strengthen women’s leadership, protection, and participation in the Sudan response.
• ERC Commitments Monitoring Framework – A tracking tool monitoring progress across the four commitments, supporting accountability to Sudanese women humanitarians and the wider response.

Last updated: January 2026