In Construction and Blacksmithing: War Forces Sudanese Women to Enter Male-Dominated Professions

The ongoing war between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for over 33 months has created deeply complex humanitarian conditions. As the displacement of citizens continues, particularly women, children, and the elderly, people flee active conflict zones in search of safe havens and ways to survive the complexities of life.

This tragic situation has pushed many displaced women, who became the sole breadwinners after losing husbands to the fighting, to break into arduous professions that were once the exclusive preserve of men. These include working in brick-making, bakeries, transporting and carrying construction materials, and blacksmithing—enduring both the scorching sun and the bitter cold of winter.

Negative Perception

Khadija Musa, displaced from Kadugli in South Kordofan, says: “The war caused our lifestyle to change and imposed harsh conditions on everyone. To meet a family’s living needs, every member must look for a source of income, regardless of the type. Job opportunities have become scarce due to low availability and high demand. For example, since I arrived in Khartoum seven months ago from Kadugli due to intensified fighting, I preferred to look for any kind of work. Finally, I found an opportunity in the primitive brick kilns on the banks of the Nile in the Al-Jereif suburb, east of Khartoum.”

Musa added: “I did not hesitate to work in this profession, even though it is considered one of the most arduous jobs requiring great physical effort. I had no other choice, especially since I am responsible for supporting my young children and my elderly parents, who constantly need blood pressure and diabetes medication.”

She continued: “It is true that the professions displaced women have turned to were once restricted to men. However, it is well known that women in Western Sudan play a prominent role in agriculture and grazing. Therefore, their ability to master any type of work forced by war conditions in displacement areas is natural, whether in brick kilns, blacksmithing, or transporting construction materials. The complexities of life gave them no other choice; duty dictates that they provide a financial return to ensure a dignified life for their family members.”

The displaced woman noted that “these professions are not without difficulties, risks, and negative societal views, including exposure to harassment and exploitation.”

Danger and Hardship

Meanwhile, Umm Kulthum Abdel Rahman, a displaced woman from the Darfur region currently living in Omdurman, explained: “The living situation has become a nightmare for every displaced family due to the lack of aid. Since we arrived in Omdurman after a journey of arduous suffering caused by poor conditions in North Darfur, which reached the stage of famine, we have received nothing but crumbs from some passers-by. Most communal kitchens (Takiya) have stopped completely, causing hunger among the needy in this city.”

Abdelrahman added: “Under these difficult circumstances, my children and I set out to find work that would enable us to meet our needs without asking others for help. We found an opportunity in splitting ‘Shaf’ wood blocks (used in Sudanese perfumes) using saws or axes. It is a job that requires physical strength and enduring long working hours—up to 12 hours—where we struggle against the biting cold and the darkness.”

She continued: “My situation is not exceptional; most women working in the safe states are displaced. Their conditions became miserable after their areas were subjected to widespread violence, leading to mass displacement and a life shift that can only be overcome through work, regardless of its type or danger.”

She concluded by saying: “In truth, the employer hesitated at first to let me work, arguing that these jobs are for men only because they require speed and energy that women supposedly lack, along with fear of injuries. But because of my persistence and ability to complete the work with the required speed without struggle, he reversed his decision, and it has become normal for me now.”

Multiple Motives

For her part, social specialist Ahlam Sayed Ahmed pointed out that “the emergence of women in the workforce, especially displaced women, and their practice of arduous, traditionally male professions is driven by several factors. These include the war conditions that caused them to lose their breadwinners, husbands being at the front lines, or the absence of alternative job opportunities, alongside economic conditions and skyrocketing inflation.”

Sayed Ahmed continued: “Women in Darfur and Kordofan are known to be hardworking; they originally practiced physically demanding professions in agriculture, grazing, and operating farming machinery. It is natural, given their current circumstances, to engage in any work regardless of difficulty. Some women have acquired buying and selling skills, others work in bakeries, or have created home-based businesses like soap making or baking to sell in neighborhoods or markets. Generally, Sudanese women continue to pay a heavy price for the war, facing homelessness, displacement, and the responsibility of supporting their families and keeping them from falling apart, especially after losing husbands and relatives.”

The specialist added: “These phenomena have prompted social and psychological studies to understand the tragic reality affecting women due to the conflict, and to what extent they have been able to overcome the trauma of war in their new locations by providing relative safety and working to empower them socially through productive projects.”

Raising Awareness

In the same context, psychologist Asmaa Mohammed Juma stated that “Sudanese women, especially displaced ones, have taken on immense responsibilities. Life circumstances forced them to practice professions considered ‘strange’ for them according to the societal view that prevailed before the war. However, the different conditions produced by the war left many women with no choice but to work in any capacity to secure an income for daily life.”

The psychologist added: “Community awareness must be raised, especially among men, to overcome concepts that existed before the conflict, those related to entrenched customs or the belief that certain professions are ‘unsuitable’ for women. Necessity dictates supporting women in their struggle for a legitimate living to raise their children, and ensuring they are not harassed while performing these harsh jobs.”