Gender and alliance in central Sudan

Sudanese women have a stock of mother-in-law/daughter-in-law stories, documenting specific sources of tension inherent in this society where marriages are traditionally arranged and local endogamy is preferred within the patriline. In recent years, however, socio-economic developments within the Sudan have led to changes in both family composition and the range of opportunities available to women, which are mitigating this particular relationship and leading to new alliances between women. Drawing on data from the town of Sennar, Blue Nile Province, this paper looks at some of the factors contributing to these changes, as well as considers the various networks of relationships in which women participate when they move to an urban area.