Powerful photo shows how women are leading Sudanese protests

The protests have lasted for months, growing despite government crackdowns.
 By 
Marcus Gilmer
 on 

As protests in Sudan against President Omar al-Bashir continued on Monday, one powerful image of a woman protesting is speeding around Twitter and being heralded as a symbol of strength.

The photo follows similar images and videos that have been posted across social media in recent days as the protests have continued.

The protests in Sudan have been growing for months, following hikes in bread and fuel prices in late 2018 as the country's economy teetered on the verge collapse.

Since then, the protests have swelled in both size and scope as protesters, inspired by the success of similar protests in Algeria, are now calling on al-Bashir to step down. Violent government crackdowns on protesters have done little to deter them.

But what makes the above images all the more powerful is the prominent role Sudanese women have played in the protests. The BBC reports that an estimated 70 percent of protesters are women, and the protests include calls to end sexism that dominates the country.

"She was trying to give everyone hope and positive energy and she did it," Lana Haroun, who took the photo, told CNN. "She was representing all Sudanese women and girls and she inspired every woman and girl at the sit-in."

One Twitter user, Hind Makki, responded to the photo by listing why the photo -- and the woman -- mean so much to protestors.

The Sudanese government has blocked social media access in the country for days and weeks at a time throughout the ongoing protests, but as this stunning photo shows, the protesters are still succeeding at getting their powerful message out to the rest of the world.

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Marcus Gilmer

Marcus Gilmer is Mashable's Assistant Real-Times News Editor on the West Coast, reporting on breaking news from his location in San Francisco. An Alabama native, Marcus earned his BA from Birmingham-Southern College and his MFA in Communications from the University of New Orleans. Marcus has previously worked for Chicagoist, The A.V. Club, the Chicago Sun-Times and the San Francisco Chronicle.

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