Although the results will not be announced until February 7th, preliminary results of Southern Sudan's Referendum confirm that the creation of the world’s newest country will likely take place on July 9th, 2011. Polls show that nearly 99% of voters are in favor of the split, which will separate what is currently Sudan into two separate states. Fatima Ahmed of MADRE's partner in Sudan, Zenab for Women in Development, has been sending MADRE updates about the impact of the voting process on rural communities, and Zenab’s role in fostering women’s political participation. Fatima writes:
For the last three months, Zenab for Women in Development has concentrated on raising awareness around the Southern Sudan Referendum, and encouraging a peaceful and effective voting process. We conducted two three-day workshops for women leaders in the States of Kassala and Gadaref and facilitated 10 forums taking place around Gadaref State encouraging women to take part in the voting process. These gatherings produced 50 local observers, 40 of whom are women. All observers were trained to observe polling, counting, and tabulation processes. I became certified as a Trainer of Trainers, and took part in training representatives from political parties across Gadaref, Kassala and Red Sea States. International observers had the chance to visit us at Zenab’s office, and reported that they were impressed by the women representing Zenab in polling centers across the country. We thank MADRE and its supporters for your messages of encouragement during the voting process.
Although the voting process is complete, there is still much to be done to achieve peace and security in Sudan. Violence remains a problem in the Darfur and Abyei regions, and a lack of food sovereignty continues to threaten a large portion of the population. MADRE pledges our continued support of the women of Sudan during this pivotal time.
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