By Brooke Edwards:
Sudanese human rights activist Enass Muzamel has dedicated her life to the defense of democracy, human rights, and female empowerment. Born in Sudan, and as the war continues, her dedication and devotion to these issues were honored at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC and recognized by former US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
After losing her father at age thirteen, Enass was immediately conscious of the deeply patriarchal confines dictating Sudanese society. Her newly-widowed mother’s fight to keep their house for her seven daughters posed a threat to the male-domineered status-quo. Bearing witness to her newly matriarchal family’s struggle in the Sudanese sphere, Enass was motivated to fight this all-encompassing suppression.
Becoming the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Madaniya, a pro-democracy organization aimed towards expanding civic engagement, her work was integral in the 2019 ousting of Omar al-Bashir, Sudan’s former president. Despite being forced to flee Sudan in the turmoil of April’s violent conflict, Enass’s activism fervently led the charge against Sudan’s sexual violence, a crime exacerbated by the ongoing regional tensions.
She refuses to concede to the violent reality surrounding her work, instead using it as motivation to demand both human rights and an earnest democratic sphere within Sudan. That is was what led to being honored at the 22 Vital Voices Global Partnership awards at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC earlier this week.
The Vital Voices international non-profit seeks to empower female activists through substantial investments in their mission and platform. In 2020 alone, Vital Voices provided various organizations with over two million dollars of grant support. Taking place in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the groundbreaking women making strides for global betterment, the Global Leadership Awards illuminates the mission of Vital Voices by spotlighting the tireless work of female activists making strides on the international frontier of human rights.
