Najwa Musa Konda (alternative spellings: Nagwa, Mousa, Kinda, Kunda) (born 1976) is a Sudanese women's rights activist and civil society leader for the Two Areas ( South Kordofan and Blue Nile).

Life

Najwa Musa Konda was born in 1976 in the village of Kambara, near the small town of

Kauda Kaura, also known as Kauda and Chutka, is a folk musical performance indigenous to the hilly regions of Nepal. It is believed to have originated in the Magar community of Rising Ranipokhari, Tanahun. According to historians, it was originally ca ...

. Her father, Musa Konda Kuka, had taken literacy classes late in life, and ensured all his nine children attended school. Despite experiencing some prejudice against both her dark skin and her Christianity, Najwa Musa Konda won a scholarship to Ahfad University for Women in

Omdurman Omdurman (standard ar, أم درمان ''Umm Durmān'') is a city in Sudan. It is the most populated city in the country, and thus also in the State of Khartoum. Omdurman lies on the west bank of the River Nile, opposite and northwest of the ...

. After graduation she studied for a Master's degree at Swansea University in Wales. Najwa Musa's education enabled her to get jobs in the humanitarian sector. In 2005, she was a representative of the Nuba women's association. In 2006, as a UNICEF representative, she was helping to provide schooling at the camp for displaced people near

in South Kordofan. She started working for the Nuba Relief, Rehabilitation and Development Organisation (NRRDO), and eventually became executive director. As head of NRRDO, Najwa Musa presciently warned in May 2011 that the Nuba mountains might be brought into the conflict and become "a new

Darfur Darfur ( ; ar, دار فور, Dār Fūr, lit=Realm of the Fur) is a region of western Sudan. ''Dār'' is an Arabic word meaning "home f – the region was named Dardaju ( ar, دار داجو, Dār Dājū, links=no) while ruled by the Daju, ...

. In May 2012, she was among 150 signatories of a joint letter by civil society leaders imploring US and China to help solve Sudan/South Sudan conflict. In February 2014, the SPLM-N named her as one of seven national experts to join their delegation to peace talks with the government. In September 2014 she warned of the humanitarian situation in South Kordofan. In 2016, Malik Agar appointed her to a committee charged with implementing a UN action plan to end SPLM-N's recruitment of

child soldiers Children (defined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child as people under the age of 18) have been recruited for participation in military operations and campaigns throughout history and in many cultures. Children in the military, includ ...

. Speaking on

International Women's Day International Women's Day (IWD) is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 as a focal point in the women's rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against wom ...

in March 2017, Musa highlighted the high rate of maternal mortality, domestic violence against women, child marriage and

female genital mutilation Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female genital cutting, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and female circumcision, is the ritual cutting or removal of some or all of the external female genitalia. The practice is found ...

in the Two Areas.Women bear the brunt of suffering in Sudan
'' Radio Dabanga'', 8 March 2017.

Works

* (with Leila Karim, Tima Kodi and Nils Castensen)
Women-led self-protection in Sudan
, ''Forced Migration Review'', October 2016.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Konda, Najwa Musa 1976 births Living people People from South Kordofan Sudanese Christians Sudanese women's rights activists Alumni of Swansea University Ahfad University for Women alumni