Shaheen Sends Bipartisan Letter Urging State Department to Prioritize Participation of Sudanese Women in Conflict Resolution

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) today sent a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging the State Department to prioritize the participation of Sudanese women in U.S. government efforts to end the war in Sudan. The letter specifically urges the State Department to fully implement the bipartisan Women, Peace and Security Act to help accomplish this goal. Women have been disproportionately impacted by the ongoing war in Sudan, which broke out in April 2023 and is now one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.  

The Senators wrote, “As the United States continues to support an end to the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Force (RSF), it is critical to the long-term stability of Sudan that women have a meaningful role in shaping their country’s future.” 

They continued, “As the women of Sudan face immediate threats to their health, safety and security, the U.S. must prioritize an end to the conflict that holds perpetrators to account and reinforces the vital role women play in shaping a more stable and prosperous society. By fully implementing the Women, Peace and Security Act of 2017, the Department of State and agencies across the U.S. Government will ensure the women of Sudan play an active role in building a brighter future for their country.” 

The letter can be read in its entirety here. 

Shaheen is the author of the Women, Peace and Security Act with Senator Moore Capito, which was signed into law in 2017 and ensures women’s leadership roles in conflict resolution and peace negotiations. She has also led bipartisan efforts to address the unique barriers young girls in developing countries face in accessing a full education. Shaheen previously?reintroduced the International Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA) that would ensure that combating gender-based violence around the world remains a top diplomatic and development priority for the United States. In April 2022, Shaheen traveled with Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) to the UN to discuss how the U.S. and international community can best support women and girls in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.?Following a horrific terror attack on a girls’ school in Kabul, Shaheen and Collins led a bipartisan resolution urging international support for Afghan women and girls. 

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