Cairo: A photo of a woman protester in a traditional white Sudanese dress and golden, moon-shaped earrings has gone viral on social media, instantly becoming a symbol for the role of women in the uprising in Sudan.

The image drew a comparison to America's Statue of Liberty and the ancient Nubian Sudanese queens known as kandaka who live on in Sudanese folklore as women who accomplished and sacrificed for their country.

Her white dress is traditionally worn by professional Sudanese women in the workforce, said Hammour Ziada, a Sudanese novelist.

"The outfit is symbolic of the identity of a working Sudanese woman that's able to do anything and at the same time keep her culture and traditions," he said.