Women have had few opportunities to formally participate in efforts to bring peace and democratic governance to Sudan. Despite women’s integral role in Sudan’s 2018 political protests, only one woman was included in official negotiations following the April 2019 coup, which saw the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir. Women did gain a role in the government established to lead Sudan’s democratic transition—the Transitional Sovereignty Council of Sudan. Women were appointed to two of eleven seats (18 percent) on the council, and they were appointed to lead four ministries. Women also made up around 10 percent of the negotiators for the 2020 Juba Agreement, which sought to achieve peace between Sudan and several warring groups.

For the 2018 peace process, women represented only 15 percent of negotiators in the Two Areas peace talks and were not represented at all on the Darfur track. All mediators for the 2018 and 2020 processes were men, although these efforts were never fully realized after the military launched a coup in 2021. Hundreds of women have participated in UN-led workshops aimed at resolving contentious issues and building support for a new process focused on transitioning the country to civilian democracy.