How Conflict in Sudan Is Impacting Women and Girls

June 9, 2026

By Cove Johnson Rabidoux

Gender violence and limited access to healthcare have left Sudanese women increasingly vulnerable as war continues.

Sudanese women and children. Albert Gonzalez Farran. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Civil war in Sudan started in April 2023 following the collapse of negotiations between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Since then, the country has been decimated by violence, widespread famine and a crumbling healthcare system, all of which make it nearly impossible for humanitarian support organizations to provide aid.

According to the United Nations, the situation in Sudan is the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with more than 33 million people in need of support. Women and girls have been disproportionately affected, facing alarming rates of food insecurity and displacement.

Millions of women have had to relocate to refugee and displacement camps, where they face shortages of food, clean water and medical supplies. At these camps, they experience the additional risk of gender-based violence, both by fellow civilians and members of the SAF and RSF themselves.

The United Nations described rape, sexual slavery and violence as common war tactics used throughout the country. They report that sexual violence has not only been used to exert control over communities but to instill fear and deepen the psychological trauma of survivors and their families. One woman told Human Rights Watch, “Every time I try to sleep, I see how my parents and husband were killed, and I remember all the things they did to me. It is torturing me.”

Her experience is far from unique. Survivors of sexual violence, especially that which is war-related, often experience long-term trauma, including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and sleep disturbances. Many also face social stigma within their communities, which can lead to further isolation. In Sudan, these challenges are compounded by the deterioration of the healthcare system and limited humanitarian access. With little international aid, survivors are left without medical care, counseling or legal assistance.

Additionally, without reliable healthcare, pregnant women and new mothers are unable to receive adequate maternal support. This often increases the likelihood of preventable complications for both mothers and infants.

Yet despite these conditions, Sudanese women are committed to protecting their communities. Across the country and within displacement camps, women-led groups have helped distribute food, protect children from violence and provide midwifery and other medical assistance.

But as fighting persists across the country, humanitarian groups argue that greater international attention is crucial in addressing the crisis. Sudan has received comparatively limited international coverage compared to other global conflicts. Experts suggest this is partially because more “geopolitically influential countries” are often prioritized in media coverage, leaving other large-scale humanitarian crises underreported.

In the case of Sudan, Tom Perriello, former U.S. special envoy to Sudan, said, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen as big of a disconnect between the scale of a crisis and the scale of media coverage in my life, and that is both because the scale of the suffering in Sudan is so high and because the [media] coverage is abominably low.”

The statement reflects ongoing concerns about the visibility of the crisis and its impact on its civilians. For many Sudanese women and girls, support remains uncertain as they continue to navigate the world’s worst humanitarian emergency.

GET INVOLVED:

Sign Amnesty International’s petition to demand an arms embargo in Sudan. Spread the word about the atrocities facing women in Sudan today. Support female protection and aid by donating to UN Women. For updates and additional information, follow UNICEF and ReliefWeb.

Cove Johnson Rabidoux

Cove is an English student at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her writing can be found in the Daily Bruin, The Teen Magazine, Piece of Cake Magazine, and other publications. In her free time, she enjoys reading and traveling.

The Unflattering Truth of Asian Women’s Fetishization

March 11, 2026

Claire Park

The fetishization of Asian women is a reinforcement of the late 19th century’s imperialistic practices and mindsets, stripping them of their individuality and complexity.

Asian woman in traditional Vietnamese dress. Anna Tarazevich. Pexels.

During the early to mid-20th century, in the midst of Western imperialism, the United States’ formal occupations of Asia left many soldiers leveraging their domination of a more specific subject: Asian women. When white soldiers arrived in countries like Japan and Vietnam with Western beliefs of supremacy, they viewed the local women as weak, submissive and demure individuals who could easily be controlled. With the plight, despair and poverty of the wars, namely World War II and the Vietnam War, this representation materialized in the form of sex and prostitution, with Asian women’s “submissiveness” catering to soldiers’ needs for outlets of rest and recreation. The rape and degradation of these women birthed the symbol of Asian women being hypersexual, docile playthings, subservient to white superiority.

As soldiers made their way back to America, they brought this fantasized Orientalism with them. These characterizations of Asian women as sexually compliant have since been reinforced through contemporary arts, literature and media. Novels like “Madame Chrysantheme” and stage productions such as “M. Butterfly” and “Miss Saigon” have perpetuated the stereotype of Asian women as mere objects dependent on white males for validation and existing only for sex. These “love” stories have romanticized the idea of forced prostitution, the struggle of Asian people during times of war and the white-savior story. Alternatively, other media, such as the film “Kill Bill,” have used Asian women’s alluring foreignness to establish the Dragon Lady stereotype, portraying them as mysterious and dangerous figures who tempt men for their own gain.

The recent popularity of anime in the West often appeals to large male audiences by combining both of these racialized stereotypes of meekness and enticement. While some female anime characters may be powerful heroines, a good portion of them are scantily clad with youthful, childlike features, which undermines those more optimal portrayals and exalts the objectification, hypersexuality and infantilization of Asian women. This depiction is not only harmful to Asian women and their perceptions of self but also completely disrespects Japanese and Asian culture by bastardizing it.

The misrepresentation of Asian women, their racial characteristics and their stories crafted through the Western gaze has conditioned people to view them as a type of fantasy rather than as individuals. While it may initially feel flattering to be desired for certain attributes one possesses, this fetishized attraction is rooted in a longstanding power imbalance, denying Asian women complexity and respect. The development and promotion of the acquiescent yet provocative racial label for Asian women has not only created external harm through harassment but has also fostered an internal pressure to perform a certain kind of sexuality or look a certain way.

Many Asian women feel othered with this emphasis on their “exotic” qualities. The constant questioning of how they’re perceived and the historical and media evidence confirming that they’re valued for certain racial traits rather than who they are as a whole person can deeply affect how they understand their self-worth. Moreover, Asian women’s racial and sexual objectification has been linked to health issues related to body image and eating disorders in pursuit of fitting the petite litheness associated with the idealized Asian woman. These uncertainties and pressures are not only harmful to Asian women’s self-esteem but also inhibit the development of their sense of self, at times making them resort to alignment with the fetishization in order to feel safe and accepted.

While the fetishization of Asian women has persisted and evolved, actively working toward dismantling its enablement starts with education. Rather than accepting racial misrepresentations as something entrenched in society, media portrayals and their origins should be questioned, individuals should examine personal biases and Asian voices should be central in storytelling. In doing so, the authenticity and individuality of Asian women as people can finally be championed.