I have always felt an uncontrollable urge to react to any injustice or discrimination. At an early age, I was convinced that being a woman, I could aspire like men, to all possible functions, and to participate in the development of my country. These convictions fueled my vocation for the judiciary. I joined this body in 1971 as an examining magistrate in Saint-Louis, the first woman assigned to that region. I was offered the “favor” of staying in Dakar, the capital city because I was a woman, but I refused that offer. After four years spent in education and a year as a Substitute for the Dakar Public Prosecutor, I was the first woman named Public Prosecutor in Senegal in 1976. Through my quest justice and the fight against impunity, I served at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), as a Legal Advisor. I ended my career there as Senior General Counsel in the ICTR Appeals Chamber. As a founding member of the Association of Senegalese Jurists (AJS), I am continuing the fight for the attainment of Gender Equality in Senegal.

By agreeing to put ourselves at the service of the law, we advocate for the respect of the values that allow us to live peacefully together. These objectives will only be achieved if human rights are respected. We must raise awareness that without respect for human rights, there can be no development and no peace. We will have to combat all social inequalities, and discrimination, to ensure social well-being, through solidarity, work and patriotic commitment. We must, for true social justice, promote equal rights in order to establish global peace. We must, with men, continue to defend the human rights of women and vulnerable people. It is at this level that the violations of human rights are most apparent and often the most serious. The challenges to be met remain numerous! Our determination must remain steadfast!