Over the last 12 months we’ve seen more than ever the importance of people coming together to fight for the things they believe in. With Mandela Day around the corner, it’s important that we reflect on what we’re doing in our own communities to bring about positive change.
There are increasing numbers of incredible Black advocates, and women in particular, willing to shoulder the responsibilities of the collective, putting in the work to action progress that benefits us all. Because the work these advocates do is often behind the scenes, they’re not always given the credit they deserve. So we’re spotlighting ten of these amazing advocates below. We urge you to learn about their causes and celebrate them however you can. Hopefully you’ll be inspired by their work to do some advocacy of your own.
Naimah Hassan
Naimah is a London-based anti-FGM campaigner and co-founder of African Women’s Rights Advocates. Her work with Global Media Campaing to End FGM is drastically changing attitudes towards the harmful practice, particularly in East African communities.
Wadi Ben-Hirki
Wadi is a Nigerian philanthropist and founder of the Wadi Ben-Hirki Foundation which seeks to “To reignite the hopes of hurting women and children through humanitarianism and advocacy towards access to quality education, equality & justice, empowerment, equity and sustainable partnerships for welfare” in Northern Nigeria.
Samira Haruna Sanusi
Nigerian sickle cell awareness advocate and founder of Samira Sanusi Sickle Cell Foundation, which aims to raise awareness of the disease and improve treatment conditions for sickle cell sufferers. They currently support over 300 sickle cell ‘warriors’ by providing them with necessary medical aids like crutches.
Dieynaba Sidibe
Popularly known as Zienixx, Dienyenabe is Senegal’s first female graffiti artist who uses her art to raise awareness of women’s issues in her country including limited access to health facilities and education.
Chmba Chilemba
Chmba is a Malawian activist, musician and founder of Tiwale, a community-based organization which supports Malawian women, girls and non-binary people by providing them with educational, entrepreneurial and economic opportunities. She has been named a Global Citizen Youth Advocate and her Tiwale campaigns to help end child marriage have reached over 22,000 young Malawaians.
Salimatou Fatty
Salimatou is a Gambian teacher, gender-equality advocate and founder of the Salimatou Foundation for Education (SaFE), a right-to-education organisation that advocates for and promotes the provision of accessible, affordable, quality education for all. Last month, they launched their teen membership program which pairs 30 Gambian teenagers with inspirational mentors.
Oluwaseun Ayodeji Osowobi
Oluwaseun is a Nigerian entrepreneur and creator of the Stand To End Rape intiative which provides support such as access to therapy for impoverished survivors of sexual violence and works to combat rape culture with educational preventative programming aimed at young men and women.
Jaha Dukureh
Jaha is a Gambian human right’s activist, UN women African goodwill ambassador and founder of safehandsforgirls, a charity addressing violence against African girls. Their peer group advocacy Training on FGM equips girls with the toold to educate their friends on the dangers of FGM.
Nupol Kiazolu
Nupol is a Liberian-American Black Lives Matter Activist who organized her first protest when she was 13 years old. She is currently the president of the Youth Coalition of Black Lives Matter in New York, working to address police brutality and anti-Black violence in the state.
By: Memuna Konteh
(Editorial Fellow)
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