Bineta Diop
An African women’s rights champion and founder of Femmes Africa Solidarité, driving gender equality in peace, security, and decision-making. Through networks and AU policies, she has strengthened women’s influence across 55 African states and created lasting platforms like the African Women Leaders Network.
BACKGROUND
Early in her career, Bineta Diop from Senegal, recognised that sustainable peace requires women’s perspectives at every level—from local communities to national governments and continental institutions. Her commitment to integrating gender equality into formal structures and policies became the driving force behind her work, shaping a career focused on transforming both systems and societies.
WORK AND IMPACT
For more than three decades, Bineta has worked across Africa to strengthen women’s participation, from local communities to national governments and continental policy. In 1996, she founded Femmes Africa Solidarité (FAS) to advance women’s leadership in conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and decision-making. As founder and chair of FAS, she built networks, reinforced institutional frameworks, and integrated gender equality into policies, norms, and reporting systems across 55 African Union member states.
Her initiatives, including the African Women Leaders Network, demonstrate how her work creates lasting impact by empowering women, extending their influence across multiple levels, and advancing sustainable peace and inclusive development throughout the continent.
WHY BINETA IS A FINALIST
The jury nominates Bineta Diop as a finalist for the 2026 WIN WIN Award for her long-term and system-transforming efforts, which show how gender equality can be transformed into a force that strengthens peace, democracy, and inclusive societies.
"I am deeply honoured by this recognition. But more than anything, it reaffirms what I have dedicated my life to, the truth that gender equality is not a peripheral concern. It is the very force that drives lasting peace, strengthens democracy, and builds societies where every voice matters.
This award belongs to every African woman who refused to be silent, every community that chose inclusion over exclusion, and every leader who understood that no nation can truly rise while its women are left behind."
- Bineta Diop