Understanding the Gendered Aspect of Labor Organizing in Sudan: Historical and Current Trends

This article explores the historical and contemporary trajectories of labor organizing in Sudan with a particular focus on class relations and gender dynamics. By employing Marxist and feminist theoretical frameworks, the study analyzes the development of both gender-segregated and mixed-gender labor organizing in the colonial and post-independence periods. Marxist analysis illuminates the militant nature of early labor struggles, while feminist perspectives shed light on the evolving role of women within labor activism, particularly in the post-independence era. An intersectional lens is further applied to explore how class, gender, and ethnicity intersect to shape labor organizing, with particular attention to the women tea sellers’ trade union. The findings highlight that labor organizing in Sudan is marked by considerable heterogeneity, as reflected in its organizational structures, modes of mobilizations, and the sociopolitical constraints that have influenced its evolution across different historical junctures.