Hadja Anta Ndiaye, activist and advocate for women's rights
Hadja Anta Ndiaye is the Treasurer of CRA Escale de Koussanar. A widow and mother of two boys, her journey has been shaped by early family responsibilities and numerous challenges. Her story reflects the experience of many women in her community who face gender inequality and the persistent lack of recognition for their work. For many years, these realities were perceived as normal under the weight of entrenched social norms. Yet they also enabled her to build remarkable resilience and gradually begin questioning those inequalities.
Then, something began to change.
The trainings she participated in strengthened her understanding of women’s rights and helped her develop skills in communication, community awareness-raising, and leadership. They also contributed to building her self-confidence and her capacity to take action and engage meaningfully within her community.
She realised that her voice mattered.
Today, Hadja Anta Ndiaye is actively engaged in community mobilisation efforts. She regularly organises community dialogues and awareness sessions to promote women’s rights, encourage the reporting of violence, and foster positive behavioural change around harmful social norms.
She also leads advocacy initiatives through local radio programs, creating spaces where women can express themselves, highlighting the often invisible contribution of women’s work, and raising public awareness on gender-based violence.
With the support of the regional platform, a community network was established. The network now plays a critical role in protecting women by facilitating the reporting of violence, providing safe spaces for listening and support, and strengthening solidarity among women. At the same time, as Treasurer of the Fass DIOM Economic Interest Group (GIE) in Koussanar, Hadja Anta Ndiaye contributes to the development of local product processing activities by ensuring transparent and accountable financial management, helping to sustain the initiative over the long term.
Today, the organisation operates a processing unit, a community shop, and a Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA), all of which have significantly strengthened its operations and impact. The processing unit has improved product quality, preservation, and market value, leading to increased income for women. The community shop has facilitated market access by ensuring more regular distribution of products, reducing losses and strengthening women’s economic activities. The VSLA has also played a transformative role by enabling members to save, access small loans, and invest in income-generating activities.
Through these mechanisms, women have gained greater financial autonomy, increased participation in household decision-making, and strengthened agency in their daily lives, contributing to lasting improvements in their living conditions and those of their families.
Today, Hadja Anta Ndiaye stands as a true agent of change, and her commitment can be summed up in one word: dignity.
