With over two decades of tireless advocacy, Fatou Jagne Senghor has become one of Africa’s most respected women human rights defenders, earning her the nickname the Senegambian Iron Lady. Her work with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, particularly on the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa, is a cornerstone of her legacy. She collaborates closely with DefendDefenders, supporting regional networks of defenders as a member of the AfricanDefenders Steering Committee.

Reflecting on this DefendDefenders’ journey, she notes: “DefendDefenders has truly become a go-to organisation for human rights defenders. You can’t talk about human rights defenders on this continent without referring to DefendDefenders as one of the leading organisations. It has been an inspiring journey, a journey of resilience. The leadership has done great work.”

Born to a Gambian mother and a Senegalese father, Fatou grew up in a family where politics, principle, and perseverance were a way of life. Her grandfather was a respected trader known for his unshakable political stance, while her mother, a “liberated woman, very strong… courageous and hardworking”, married young at just 19. After her parents’ divorce, Fatou found herself shuffling between school in Senegal and holidays in The Gambia with her mother, who returned home in her early twenties, working as an office clerk and taking on side jobs, including catering, to support her daughters’ education.

At age 15, when her father’s family attempted to arrange her marriage to a cousin in Senegal, her mother intervened and brought her back to The Gambia to finish school. From an early age, Fatou saw the risks facing girls in her community, early marriage, school dropouts, and limited opportunities. Her mother’s insistence on completing her education became a defining influence.

In 1991, Fatou earned a scholarship to study law at Université Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar. Strikes disrupted her studies, and in 1992 she moved to France to continue at the University of Toulouse. Two global events shaped her consciousness: Nelson Mandela’s election in 1994 and the execution of Nigerian writer and activist Ken Saro-Wiwa in 1995. “That moment was strong,” she recalls. “I said, wow, this is injustice… and then I continued my journey.”

Fatou earned a diploma in International Relations and Development Studies, a Bachelor of Language/Cambridge English Law Speciality (1996), a master’s degree in International and European Law (1997), and an LLM in Economic and Communication Law (1998), all under a fellowship at the University of Toulouse. Though initially drawn to development and economic law, she increasingly felt the pull of human rights work.

In 1999, Fatou returned home, interning at the newly established Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA). She helped with the implementation of the launch its first annual workshop for human rights lawyers, after which she was offered a permanent position. At the same time, she had an opportunity to join the civil service through the Public Service Commission, a prestigious path for Gambians returning from abroad at the time. But after advice from her liberal-minded mother and veteran journalist Deyda Hydara, who warned her about the risks of working under dictatorship, she chose to remain independent and dedicate herself to human rights.

In April 2000, nationwide student protests erupted after the death of Ebrima Barry, a 19-year-old beaten by firefighters, and the alleged rape of a 13-year-old girl by a police officer. Security forces responded with deadly force, killing 14 students, a Red Cross volunteer, and a toddler. Fatou and colleagues formed a coalition to provide legal aid, issue communiqués, and mobilise solidarity. She boldly read a statement on The Gambia before the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights, a first for the country. The moment was risky and controversial but, as she recalls, “It made me fearless, it made me brave.”

In 2002, Fatou joined ARTICLE 19 in South Africa as Africa Programme Officer, focusing on freedom of expression. She worked closely with commissioners at the African Commission to design the framework for what would become the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression in Africa (2005). “I was privileged to work on that framework. I took them on a study tour in the Inter-American system, interacted with European mechanisms, and drafted the framework under the supervision of the commissioner in charge.”

This mandate became a strong tool, enabling national laws on access to information, capacity-building for activists and journalists, and safe havens for those at risk. Fatou also engaged in campaigns on The Gambia, filed petitions, and litigated cases; including a landmark case in Eritrea that won justice for detained journalists and politicians.

Fatou openly acknowledges the unique burdens faced by women human rights defenders. She has faced scepticism, stereotyping, and direct risks. In 2009, while six months pregnant, she delivered a powerful statement before the African Commission as Gambian repression intensified. Commissioners warned her to leave immediately for her safety. In 2015, under surveillance by the feared National Intelligence Agency, she again spoke out.

“It’s tough to be a woman human rights defender,” she says. “Even within the movement, there are biases. Women who dare to speak boldly are often dismissed unless they are brave and determined.”

For her, the struggle has often felt like “a drop in the ocean”, but one that gives hope to victims who might otherwise feel forgotten.

Fatou’s courage has been recognised globally. She received the Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite (France, 2018), the West African Shield Award (2019), the Gambia Press Union Press Freedom Hero Award (2020), the Deyda Hydara Award for Press Freedom (2021), the Legacy in Activism Award by SheAwards Gambia (2023), and was named an Amujae Leader by the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center (2023).

Reflecting on the recognition she received from AfricanDefenders and DefendDefenders in 2019, Fatou describes it as one of the most meaningful milestones of her career:

“I think that was the greatest one because, when it comes from an African organisation, it feels so warm and so great to be recognised by your own. I had received other awards before, but this was a recognition of my work in the region.”

After stepping down as Regional Director of ARTICLE 19 in 2022, Fatou returned to The Gambia, where she founded the Center for Women’s Rights and Leadership (CWRL) to promote women’s rights, political participation, and leadership. In 2023, she was nominated by the Attorney General alongside two eminent persons, the President of the Supreme Islamic Council and the Chairman of the Gambia Christian Council, as Moral Guarantors in the mediation process for The Gambia’s new Constitution, led by international mediator Mohamed Ibn Chambas.