Fatou Jagne Senghore is a prominent Gambian human rights and freedom of expression advocate. After founding ARTICLE 19’s West Africa office in 2010, she oversaw the human rights organisations’ work for over a decade. She led ARTICLE 19’s work with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, advocating for the adoption of a declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression in Africa in 2002, and the establishment of the mechanism of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression in Africa in 2004. Prior to ARTICLE 19, she worked for the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa and developed programmes for the judiciary and legal practitioners in the Gambia.
From 2019-2022 she co-chaired the development and adoption of Senegal’s first Action Plan on the Partnership for Open Government, and served as Chair of the Africa Freedom of Information Center. She has contributed to legal reforms in multiple countries, and litigated on behalf of journalists and human rights defenders.
Throughout her career, she has supported women political leaders, journalists, and human rights defenders, she has initiated training programs to support women’s political participation in Senegal and in the Gambia. She recently founded the Center for Women’s Rights and Leadership, a platform to advance women’s rights, political participation, and leadership in the Gambia. She is an Amujae Leader 2023 of the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development.
Jagne Senghore has received many distinctions for her human rights work. These include the French National Order of Merit in 2018, the Shield Award for West Africa by the Pan-African Human Rights Defenders Network in 2019, the Press Freedom Hero Award by the Gambia Press Union in 2020, the Deyda Hydara Award in 2021 and Legacy in Activism Award by SheAwards Gambia in 2023. She was included in the Advance Media Inaugural List of 100 Most Influential African Women in 2019.”
Our gallery
From 24 and 25 May, participation in Accra to a workshop Launching the initiative on Women and Early Warning organised by the ECOWAS Vice President, facilitated by the Directorate of Early Warning and the Commission on Human Development and Social Affairs.
Amujae Leadership Forum
Addressing the Amujae Leaders gathered for the Amujae Leadership Forum, former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf emphasized the strength of the sisterhood they were part of and stressed how vital a network of support is among women leaders: “As you move along your path to achieve your goals, know that we are there–anytime, all the time, all the way.”