The symposium, entitled Women’s Rights and Leadership in Post-conflict Sudan, is being co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the Norwegian Institute for International Affairs (NUPI), and will be held on 10 April 2005. Participants include Sudanese women from the North and South, policy makers from the Government of Sudan and the Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), international leaders and delegates from regional and international organisations, including the African Union and the United Nations.

The objective of the symposium is to draw up action plans based on the specific actions on gender issues and women's rights recommended in the Joint Assessment Mission (JAM) documents. Furthermore, it will provide a forum for discussions on financial and technical support for gender issues. The reconstruction and development of communities in post-conflict Sudan rests heavily on the shoulders of the women.

The outcome of the symposium will be presented at the Donors’ Conference.