Géantes invisibles (Invisible Giants in English) is a concept developed by Coumba Toure, an Ambassador and the former Co-ordinator of Africans Rising for peace, justice and dignity, who is based in Dakar, Senegal. She is also a writer, story-teller and facilitator. We are dedicating this post to 20 women featured in an online exhibition and hope you can take time to read all of their stories and learn more about some of the Invisible Giants of Senegal. The intention of the exhibition is to “Celebrate in their lifetime inspiring women working for social justice and well-being in their communities“. You can view the bi-lingual online exhibition here (en Français) or here (in English), which includes profiles of all the women featured, some of whom we have highlighted throughout this post.
Above – Halimatou Souaré is a peace activist; Diao Baldé Guèye is a disability rights activist; Mame Penda Ba is a political science professor
Describing her inspiration for this exhibition, Coumba said, “Faya Rose Touré is the first person to draw my attention to the invisibility of women. She said that from the civil rights movements, people all over the world know names like Martin Luther King and so on, but that there are women who did the same work for the rights of Africans in the United States who people don’t talk about.”
You can read more about Coumba Toure here in an interview with Esther Nyandoro in Kenya’s Daily Nation from last year with entitled “I am Unapologetically Feminist” and here in an interview with the Africa Philanthropy Network.
Above – Penda Seck Diouf is an activist against GBV; Ndèye Fatou Touré is a human rights lawyer; Safiétou Diop is a social activist
The exhibition is also looking to expand and grow, so is inviting Nominations here for other Invisible Giants, defined as “African women, who have made significant contributions for positive change in various social justice fields on the continent and in the diaspora …. (with) an emphasis on women leaders, working at the grassroots level, whose efforts are not duly recognized and celebrated.”
Vous pouvez egalement faire votre candidature en Français ici.
Above – Hadji Fatou Dramé is a community health activist; Ndèye Marie Thiam is a peace activist; Fatou Samba is an environmental activist.
embrace everyone 