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Fallu Sowe

Voices of Solidarity, 2023

Fallu Sowe is a fearless human rights activist who provides survivors critical services and leads cross-sector efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls in The Gambia.
Honoree

Focus Areas

Advocacy
Economic Empowerment
Gender-Based Violence

Fallu Sowe is a fearless human rights activist and advocate for survivors of gender-based violence. He provides survivors with critical services and leads cross-sector efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls in The Gambia.

In April 2014, heeding the call of his passion, dedication, and determination to make a difference in eradicating gender-based violence in Gambian communities, Mr. Sowe left his position as the Deputy Director of Social Welfare to join the Network Against Gender-Based Violence (NGBV), an NGO he co-founded in The Gambia. The organization advocates for the eradication of gender-based violence and discrimination against women and girls. In 2019, Mr. Sowe became the NGBV’s National Coordinator. Under his leadership, the NGBV has become a leading voice in the fight against gender-based violence in The Gambia.

Sowe has helped to change the way that sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is seen and talked about in The Gambia, making it easier for survivors to come forward and seek help. He has also helped establish support services – including ten One-Stop Centers across all the regions of The Gambia, a shelter and counseling center, and legal aid for survivors – to ensure that survivors of SGBV have access to justice and support. Knowing that economic opportunities and education are essential for women to be able to escape GBV, Sowe has also worked to promote women’s economic empowerment and to increase girls’ access to skills training and income-generating activities. He helped establish a reusable pad and diapers production center in The Gambia to address pad poverty among vulnerable women and adolescent girls and also to support the education of out-of-school SGBV survivors.

Sowe’s work as a women’s rights advocate has been recognized by the Gambian government, UN agencies, and civil society organizations. He is a passionate advocate for the rights of women and girls, and he is committed to making The Gambia a more just and equitable society for all.