Breaking Barriers: Examining the digital exclusion of women and online gender-based violence in Sudan

In a globalised world where the internet transformed our earth into a small village, the global South is left lagging. Internet accessibility remains a major hurdle facing a large proportion of people in the global South. The situation in Sudan is no exception. In the light of the economic instability, political turmoil and the United States-led economic sanctions imposed on Sudan, internet accessibility and making beneficial use of the internet are a real challenge, especially for women. This research explores the barriers to women’s access to and use of the internet in Sudan. Some key findings include:

1. Among the various barriers to women's access and use of the internet, the following are noxious and prominent —social construct of gender norms, power dynamics, personal status law, government regulations, lack of gender-sensitive regulations, OGBV, and US sanctions against Sudan.
2. A majority of women do not feel safe in online spaces.
3. The US trade embargo on Sudan has affected mobile network operators' access to crucial technologies to maintain telecommunications infrastructure.
4. Sanctions are directly affecting Sudanese women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), and marginalising them professionally.