Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim was a towering figure in Sudanese politics and a pioneering advocate for women’s rights. Born in Khartoum, her exact birth year varies in sources, ranging from 1928 to 1933. She was part of an educated and politically conscious family; her grandfather was a headmaster and imam, and her father, a teacher, was dismissed for refusing to teach in English under colonial rule.
Ibrahim’s activism began during her school years at Omdurman Girls’ Secondary School where she launched a newspaper called Elra’edda (The Pioneer Girls), which focused on women’s rights and anti-colonialism. She also wrote under a pen name in public newspapers. While in school she organized Sudan’s first women’s strike in protest of her school’s decision to remove science lessons, replacing them with “family science.”
In 1947, Ibrahim founded the Intellectual Women’s Association, and in 1952, she co-founded the Sudanese Women’s Union (SWU). Ibrahim served on its executive committee and became its president in 1956. Under her leadership, the SWU established branches in towns and villages across the country. She advocated for equal wages, technical training for women, and literacy programs, confronting both colonial authorities and conservative elements within Sudanese society who resisted women’s participation in public.
In 1955, she became the chief editor of Sawat al-Maraa (Woman’s Voice Magazine), the SWU’s influential publication that played a crucial role in the overthrow of the Ibrahim Abboud regime.
Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim married El-Shafie Ahmed el-Sheikh, a prominent communist trade union leader and political activist. They had one son, Ahmed. Their family life, however, was often overshadowed by the turbulent political landscape of Sudan. El-Shafie Ahmed el-Sheikh was executed in July 1971 by the regime of Jaafar Nimeiri following a failed military coup, leaving Fatima a widow with a young child to raise. This personal tragedy deepened her resolve, and she vowed never to remarry, dedicating herself to her son and her ongoing struggle for justice.
In 1965, Ibrahim made history by becoming the first Sudanese woman elected to parliament. As a member of that body, she championed equal employment, equal pay, and access to higher education for women. Her political journey was often fraught with challenges, including arrests and imprisonment during various dictatorial regimes, notably under Nimeiri and later Omar al-Bashir.
Despite the political persecution, Ibrahim continued her work. In 1990, she went into exile after the al-Bashir military coup, serving as the President of the banned Sudanese Women’s Union from abroad. In 1991, she was elected President of the Women’s International Democratic Federation (WIDF), becoming the first African Muslim woman to hold this prestigious international position. Her advocacy on the global stage earned her the United Nations Award for Outstanding Achievements in the Field of Human Rights in 1993, and the Ibn Rushd Prize for Freedom of Thought in 2006.
Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim returned to Sudan in 2005 after a reconciliation between the government and the opposition, briefly serving again as a deputy in parliament representing the Sudanese Communist Party. She passed away in London on August 12, 2017, at the age of 84.
