“Reflecting on my journey, I recognize the importance of being bold (sitting at the ‘high table’), taking up space, and having the audacity to embrace my full self.”
In 2024, I described my year as a ‘Mosaic,’ a collection of varied pieces coming together. If 2024 was about assembling the pieces, 2025 has been about using the final picture to demand systemic change. This year, my work moved from the ‘Idea Hub’ to the ‘Action Floor.’ It has been a year of connecting archival research in London with the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I also connected with the United Nations in New York. Throughout, my heart was firmly rooted in Africa.
I. Roots of Resistance: A Childhood of “Unusual” Responsibility
In 2025, I’ve had several opportunities to reflect on the origins of my work. Two major features—one with Global Voices (March 2025) and a deeply personal interview with CMI/LawTransform (September 2025) captured the essence of my “unusual” childhood.
As I shared with CMI during the Bergen Exchanges, other children were playing outside. Meanwhile, I sat in conferences with presidents. I was representing The Gambia at the Children’s Parliament of the World by age 12. By 15, I was at the CSW in New York. These weren’t just milestones; they were the forge for my belief that activism and scholarship are inseparable.
I often say that I chose to study law not out of academic curiosity alone. It was a strategic decision. I wanted to ensure that those amplifying marginalized voices are also present in the rooms where laws are drafted.
Finding My Village: The Women in Law Initiative
In June 2025, I conducted a substantive interview with the president of the Women in Law Initiative. This conversation, titled “My Journey into Law: Finding My Village, My Passion, and My Purpose,” allowed me to reflect on:
- Feminist Institution Building: Why the founding of Think Young Women (TYW) was a critical step in creating alternative spaces for leadership.
- The “Standard” for African Women: Navigating male-dominated spaces as a young woman and the resilience required to stand at the front of a classroom at age 22, teaching parliamentarians and police officers.
- Bridging the Gap: How my academic foundation at the University of Pretoria and the University of Washington has been consistently “informed by the trajectory” of my activism.
II. The Global Scholar-Activist in Action
2025 was about proving that “Academia is not enough.” Each experience contributed to this realization. These experiences included digging through archival records in London on “Gender and Constitutions.” They also involved exploring the vibrant culture of Jamaica. Additionally, these experiences included participating in the Conference on World Affairs (CWA 77th) at CU Boulder. As highlighted in my Global Voices feature, I don’t want my research to “sit on a shelf.” This is why I lead programs at the University of Dayton Human Rights Center that place students directly into the field in Ghana, Kenya, and The Gambia. We are building a “village” that isn’t just local, but global and reciprocal.
Strengthening the Diaspora Bridge
In October 2025, I traveled to Kingston, Jamaica, as part of a University of Dayton delegation to The University of the West Indies (The UWI), Mona. Alongside my colleague Dr. Novea McIntosh, we engaged with the School of Education and the Institute for Gender and Development Studies to forge a new path for faculty and student exchange.
This visit was an exploratory mission to align our shared values of social justice and reparatory research. From discussing Memorandums of Understanding to planning a Spring 2027 study tour, we are building a bridge between continental Africa and the Caribbean diaspora. I am particularly excited about the MOU we recently signed with the University of The Bahamas.
Walking with the World
My commitment to “experiential human rights” took us back to Kenya this year. I am deeply proud of the UD Human Rights Center’s enduring partnership with Dandelion Africa and our growing collaboration with Prof Novea McInstosh.
In Kilimanjaro and beyond, we demonstrated that human rights coursework is most effective when applied to real-world challenges—such as the solar-powered drip irrigation projects our students supported. As I noted in our “Walking with the World” feature, it is rewarding to see students like Amanda Maylath recognize that their skills in mathematics or engineering can be used to drive positive change in access to clean water. These fellowships aren’t just trips; they are immersive lessons in intercultural competence and the “social practice” of human rights.
III. Shaping the Continental Agenda: Pre-CSW70 in Addis Ababa
In late November 2025, I was honored to participate in the 70th Africa Pre-Commission on the Status of Women (Pre-CSW70) Consultations at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa. Working alongside the 10th Specialized Technical Committee on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (STC-GEWE), I saw firsthand the power of a unified African voice.
During the Expert Segment, I presented on “Challenges and Strategic Pathways for Litigating Women’s and Girls’ Rights in Africa.” My intervention highlighted four strategic imperatives for transformative justice:
- Strengthening Strategic Litigation: Utilizing legal pathways effectively to secure systemic change.
- Addressing Institutional Biases: Dismantling discriminatory social norms embedded within justice delivery systems.
- Enhancing Collaboration: Fostering ties between regional courts, human rights institutions, and civil society.
- Ensuring Transformative Access: Guaranteeing that justice is survivor-centered and grounded in human dignity.
Participating in the Ministerial Segment, as Member States deliberated on the Common Africa Position (CAP), reinforced a vital truth: Africa is not merely a participant in global negotiations; we are leaders charting our own path toward CSW70.
IV. The UN Stage: Making the “Unseen Half” Visible
In April 2025, I had the profound honor of participating in the 4th Session of the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent at the UN Headquarters.
The University of Dayton Human Rights Center, in collaboration with the University of The Bahamas, presented our yearlong research findings. The theme was “Africa and people of African descent: United for reparatory justice in the age of AI.” These findings reveal a stark and unsettling truth. A decade has been dedicated to people of African descent. Yet, Black women and girls remain alarmingly invisible within international human rights mechanisms.
Our data showed that only 72 out of 596 concluding observations explicitly mentioned their specific rights. This isn’t just a minor oversight. It’s a critical failure. I am committed to addressing it in the years to come. Read more, A Moment at the UN!
This video provides a direct look at your impactful intervention at the UN. This event serves as the foundation for your 2026 pivot toward standardized reporting for women of African descent.
V. Cultivating the Next Generation: Mentorship as Activism
One of my greatest joys in 2025 was seeing the “Scholar-Activist” model take flight in my own classroom. At the University of Dayton, my mission is to ensure that human rights education is practical. It serves as a preparation for global governance rather than a theoretical exercise.
Bridging Theory and Practice in POL 340
For my Fall POL 340 (Gender, Women’s Rights and Global Politics), the students engaged deeply with feminist international relations. They explored the complexities of digital rights and gender governance. To ground their learning, we brought the world into our classroom. Our policy work was enriched by incredible access to global leaders and practitioners:
The students’ policy work was significantly enriched by the incredible access we had to global leaders and practitioners:
~ Brenda Akia (PhD Law), CEDAW Committee Vice Chair
~ Vasuki Nesiah, Professor of Practice, Galatin School, New York University
~ Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins, former Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security
~ Manizha Wafeq, Afghan entrepreneur and campaigner for women’s rights
~ Ann Hudock, President & CEO of Counterpart International
~ Matthew Gichohi, Senior Researcher, Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI)
~ Angela Muruli, Regional Programme Coordinator, Ending Violence against Women, UN Women, Regional Office for West and Central Africa
These dialogues provided the foundation for our high-stakes simulations on a new convention on violence against women (VAW).
Accountability in Action: The “Sounds About Right” Series
During the 16 Days of Activism Against GBV, I had the honor of guiding a capstone collaboration. This was with UN Women West and Central Africa. My students’ research on technology-facilitated violence against women and girls (TFVAW) directly shaped the “Sounds About Right” series.
This partnership demonstrates what is possible when academia and civil society unite. I am immensely proUD of how these emerging experts applied their sharp analytical skills to deliver practical, evidence-based policy recommendations that put survivors at the center of the digital frontier.
VI. Publication Triumph: Scholarship as a Catalyst for Policy
2025 has been a landmark year for research that refuses to stay in the ivory tower. With over 1,500 pages of edited and authored scholarship published this year alone, I am focused on providing the rigorous evidence base needed to shift global policy.
My work this year centered on three specific pillars:
- Decolonization for Africa and People of African Descent
In 2025, my commitment to decolonial practice culminated in the simultaneous publication of two major scholarly works. These issues emerged from the historic 2023 Joint Convening of the Social Practice of Human Rights (SPHR) Conference and the International Conference on the Right to Development. On December 1, 2025, we officially launched these works in a virtual global convening featuring Ms. Gaynel Curry, Vice Chair of the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (PFPAD). This launch wasn’t just an academic milestone. It was a policy bridge. New scholarship on global inequities is directly connected to the UN’s agenda for people of African descent.
- Journal of Human Rights — Symposium Issue: Social Practice of Human Rights: Insights on Decolonization & Development for Africa and People of African Descent. This symposium provides critical insights into how we move from colonial frameworks to lived human rights practices.
- Journal of African Policy Studies — Special Issue: Reclaiming Power: Decolonization and Development for Africa and People of African Descent. As Lead Editor for this issue, I oversaw a collection that addresses the “justiciability” of the right to development. It also examines gendered climate impacts. Additionally, it explores the dismantling of contemporary neocolonial economic structures.
2. Bodily Autonomy & Harmful Practices
Publishing two definitive volumes—Female Genital Mutilation: Politics of Criminalisation (PULP) and Harmful Practices and Human Rights (Palgrave Macmillan) to redefine international norms on human dignity.
Read the blog on the FGM book launch with the Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters and the podcast
3. The Digital Frontier
My new co-edited book, published on 11 December 2025 by Emerald on SRHR and Digital Innovation (Emerald, 2025), explores how digital innovation is reshaping SRHR across the continent, raising urgent questions about equity, access, data privacy, AI, and meaningful participation.
2025 Bibliography: A Year in Review
For the fellow researchers and practitioners in my “village,” here is a summary of my 2025 contributions to international law, constitutional reform, and gender justice:
VII. Honors
Being honored with the 2025 Women Have Wings Award served as a powerful validation of my mission to democratize legal knowledge through Law Hub Gambia. Through this award, I join an incredible circle of women of courage who have taken bold risks to build a more just and peaceful future for us all.
Drawing inspiration from my journey in TYW and its commitment to empowering the next generation of female leaders, I am excited to share that, with the generous support of Women Have Wings, we will pilot the Young Women’s Justice and Legal (JALI) Fellowship next summer.
This pioneering program will:
⚖️ Prepare aspiring female legal professionals through immersive learning.
⚖️ Showcase legal institutions and practical legal education.
⚖️ Provide mentorship rooted in ethical practice and public service.
The JALI Fellowship invests in the next generation of women legal professionals. It begins in The Gambia with the vision of serving as a model for future iterations across Africa.
Honored to be recognized at the Youth Impact Summit 2025 and featured on the debut cover of Atiken Magazine! In Jola, Atiken means a “fighter for a good cause”. My journey has taught me that the law is only as powerful as the movements that defend it.
My message to Africa’s Changemakers
VII. A Note of Gratitude
What a year! Looking back on 2025, I am filled with gratitude for the “village” that makes this work possible. This includes the incredible team members, trusted partners, and the community of activist-scholars who walk this path with me. Here’s to building on that momentum and embracing everything 2026 has in store.
My motto for 2026 is “keep showing up.” When we continue to show up, our contributions become evident. Our outcomes and our collective influence begin to tell their own story.
Here’s to building on this momentum and embracing everything 2026 has in store.
Happy New Year!
