Fatima Talib (, born 1 January 1928) is a

Sudanese The demographics of Sudan include the Sudanese people () and their characteristics, Sudan, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health, economic status, religious affiliations, and other aspects of the population. In Sudan' ...

educator and

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and Entitlement (fair division), entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st c ...

activist who convened the first women-only organisation in Sudan.

Activism

In 1948, with her friends and colleagues at

Gordon Memorial College Gordon Memorial College was an educational institution in Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. It was built between 1899 and 1902 as part of Lord Kitchener's wide-ranging educational reforms. Named for General Charles George Gordon of the British army, who wa ...

, Mahasin Abed Alaal and Khalda Zahir, Talib founded the

Young Women's Cultural Society Young may refer to: * Offspring, the product of reproduction of a new organism produced by one or more parents * Youth, the time of life when one's age is low, often meaning the time between childhood and adulthood Music * The Young, an American ...

(''Jam'ee'yat alfata'yat althaqa'fia'') in

Omdurman Omdurman () is a major city in Sudan. It is the second most populous city in the country, located in the State of Khartoum. Omdurman lies on the west bank of the River Nile, opposite and northwest of the capital city of Khartoum. The city acts ...

. The society was designed to educate and empower women and provide social support for them. In order to function, the society needed the support of the British authorities, so was advertised solely as a social concern, however it had political undertones. Nine women joined immediately, but the society only lasted for two years. Despite its short life, it is important as it was the first women-only organisation to be established in Sudan. In 1949, Talib became the first female member of the

Muslim Brotherhood The Society of the Muslim Brothers ('' ''), better known as the Muslim Brotherhood ( ', is a transnational Sunni Islamist organization founded in Egypt by Islamic scholar, Imam and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna in 1928. Al-Banna's teachings s ...

. She was joined by sisters from the Al-Mahdi family and together they founded the Women’s Development Society. In 1952, with Khalda Zahir, Hajja Kashif Badri, and others, Talib founded the

Sudanese Women's Union The Sudanese Women's Union (SWU, , transliteration: ''Aletahad Elnisa'i Assodani'') is a Sudanese women's rights organisation that is one of the biggest post-independence women's rights organisations in Africa. Creation The Sudanese Women's Uni ...

(الاتحاد النسائي السوداني ''al Etihaad al Nisaa'i alSudani''). This organisation was designed to unite and promote women's issues. The first executive committee was made up of Fatima Talib Isma'il, Khalida Zahir and Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim. Talib was President of the Union from 1952-6. The establishment of the Union was one of the most important events in the struggle against colonialism in Sudan. It enabled women to mobilise to understand and protect their social, economic and civil rights. It was set up under pan-Africanist and socialist ideologies.

Early life

Talib was born on 1 January 1928 in Al-Rank, in southern Sudan. Her father was an army officer who was one of the leaders in the 1924 revolution. She was educated at Unity High School in Khartoum and from there was the first woman from Sudan to obtain a degree

London University The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degr ...

Career

Talib was the first woman in Sudan to become the headmistress of a secondary school. During her career she worked in Yemen, delivering plans for women's education. In 2004, Talib was interviewed about her role in Sudanese feminism.

References

20th-century Sudanese women politicians 20th-century Sudanese politicians Sudanese women's rights activists Sudanese feminists Living people 1928 births Sudanese expatriates in Yemen Gordon Memorial College alumni {{Authority Control