Hadja Idrissa Bah
Hadja Idrissa Bah
Hadja Idrissa Bah, also Hadja Idy is a child's rights and women's rights activist from Guinea, who was elected President of the Guinean Children's Parliament in 2016. She has advised President Emmanuel Macron on women's issues.
"The rights of Guinean children are in an alarming situation because they are neglected, and every day we participate in the violation of their rights, despite the efforts made by Guinean child rights advocates, ratified conventions, and adopted laws"
"Every day, I receive calls from women who have been abused by their husbands. This encourages me to continue the fight, because, by talking to me, they demonstrate that something is changing in Guinea. Today, women dare to speak out"
"We must denounce violence; its the only way to stop this cycle," the young activist chanted at the time. "The shame of rape must change sides"
"They say that the environment makes the man, but in my neighborhood, everyone does whatever they want"
"They call me the girl with the headscarf who breaks marriages"
"All these girls take care of their children and no longer go to school, or their parents reject them"
"I found myself face to face with an old woman who circumcised me"
"There are many unwanted pregnancies among young people"
"Since July, weve prevented fourteen early marriages"
"Our struggle must become everyones: parents, neighborhood leaders, judges, imams... We are not fighting for money or fame, but because we have experienced this violence. Women deserve to have a pure and complete body, not to be deprived of their rights"
"People tell my father, Youve lost your daughter; shes fighting against tradition and religion! Hes scared but supports me"
"This year, we are trying to raise awareness among mothers and aunts, who are complicit in the ritual and whom we feel often don’t understand the repercussions. Many didn’t have the opportunity to go to school or learn about their rights"
