{{Short description|Founder of the Association for the Advancement of Senegalese Women}} {{Infobox person |birth_date=1954 |birth_place=Guinguinéo, Kaolack region, French Senegal |death_date=15 September {{Death year and age|2019|1954}} |alma_mater=University of Dakar }}
'''Binta Sarr Ly,''' better known as '''Binta Sarr''' (1954 – 15 September 2019) was a Senegalese women's rights activist, best known for founding the Association for the Advancement of Senegalese Women.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Géantes Invisibles / Invisible Giants |date=2020-12-06 |title=Binta Sarr: Of Solidarity and Endless Enthusiasm |url=https://www.geantesinvisibles.com/en/giant-binta-sarr/ |access-date=2026-01-04 |website=www.geantesinvisibles.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=APIDPM Santé tropicale |first= |date=2007-01-31 |title=L’Afrofes lance un nouveau projet à Kaolack |trans-title=Aprofes launches a new project in Kaolack |url=https://www.santetropicale.com/https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Esantetropicale%2Ecom%2Factus%2Easp%3Fid%3D2153%26action%3Dlire |access-date=2026-01-04 |website=APIDPM Santé tropicale |language=fr}}</ref>
== Early life == Sarr was one of eleven children born into a polygamous family in the rural town of Guinguinéo.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Association for Women's Rights in Development |author-link=Association for Women's Rights in Development |date=8 December 2020 |title=Binta Sarr |url=https://www.awid.org/whrd/binta-sarr |access-date=2026-01-04 |website=www.awid.org}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Ashoka |author-link=Ashoka (non-profit organization) |title=Binta Sarr: APROFES - Association pour la Promotion de la Femme Sénégala |url=https://www.ashoka.org/en/fellow/binta-sarr |access-date=2026-01-04 |website=www.ashoka.org |language=en-ca}}</ref> She would spend most of her life in the Kaolack region.<ref name=":1" /> Her father was a merchant who encouraged his daughters to pursue an education, encouraging them to "fight for [their] independence in all areas, economically and socially."<ref name=":1" /> For her early education, Sarr attended Kassaville Primary School, where she was a classmate of journalist and writer Adama Gaye.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=EnquêtePlus |date=11 October 2016 |title=Une militante ‘’active’’ de la cause féminine |url=https://www.enqueteplus.com/content/binta-sarr-presidente-de-l%E2%80%99aprofes-une-militante-%E2%80%98%E2%80%99active%E2%80%99%E2%80%99-de-la-cause-f%C3%A9minine |access-date=2026-01-04 |website=www.enqueteplus.com}}</ref>
In 1974, young people in Guinguinéo formed a voluntary association to advance "cultural action," engaging in academic discussions and hosting educational activities; Sarr became heavily involved with its operations.<ref name=":1" /> Through her involvement, she also met her future husband, though they would not marry until 1983.<ref name=":1" />
=== Education === In 1978, Sarr received a scholarship to study chemistry and biology at the University of Dakar.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> At that time, the campus was a hub for pro-democratic student activism.<ref name=":1" /> During her time as a student, Sarr became involved in student advocacy and joined a committee responsible for organising strikes.<ref name=":1" />
== Career == After graduating in 1982, Sarr returned to her hometown and joined Senegal's civil service as a hydraulic engineer.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> She remained in this profession for 13 years, overseeing projects including the installation of wells, roads, classroom infrastructure, and irrigation projects.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2015-01-01 |title=Independent experts nominated by country party: Binta Sarr |url=https://www.unccd.int/roe/binta-sarr |access-date=2026-01-04 |website=UNCCD |language=en}}</ref>
Early in her career, Sarr was assigned to a project concerning the maintenance of village water supplies.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=décadréE |date=15 June 2018 |title=Fatou Sow et le féminisme au Sénégal |url=https://decadree.com/le_webzine/fatou-sow-et-le-feminisme-au-senegal/ |access-date=2026-01-04 |language=fr-FR}}</ref> She realised that water management projects would be more successful if she consulted local women, as women were primarily responsible for fetching water.<ref name=":4" /> Her subsequent efforts to involve more women in water management would later be recalled as impressive by Fatou Sow.<ref name=":4" />
This project, along with Sarr's view that lasting change required "articulated and coherent development programs", inspired her to found an association for women's education.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":4" /> She believed that small-scale credit programs or improving women's functional literacy would not lead to permanent improvement in the status of women alone.<ref name=":1" />
== Association for the Advancement of Senegalese Women (APROFES) == In 1987, Sarr founded a grassroots organisation to provide professional development opportunities for women: {{lang|fr|Association pour la Promotion des Femmes Sénégalaises}} (APROFES; English: "Association for the Advancement of Senegalese Women").<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Bonfond |first=Olivier |date=2010-04-17 |title=Interview de Binta Sarr : Donner la priorité à l'organisation populaire |url=https://www.cadtm.org/Donner-la-priorite-a-l |access-date=2026-01-04 |website=CADTM |language=fr}}</ref>
Operating in rural areas of Senegal, one of APROFES' earliest offerings was leadership training.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":5" /> The association expanded to teach participants about agriculture and contraception, and installed community services.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Bosco Bazié |first=Jean |date=2022-11-02 |title=Hommage à Binta SARR LY |url=https://www.eau-vive-internationale.org/hommage-a-binta-sarr-ly/ |access-date=2026-01-04 |website=Eau Vive Internationale |language=fr-FR}}</ref> APROFES utilised radio broadcasts, seminars, and theatre productions to raise awareness of social problems, ranging from alcoholism to Senegal's caste system.<ref name=":0" /> The association also assisted Senegal's government in administering literacy surveys of students aged 9 to 14 to better understand educational needs.<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 April 2014 |title=Enquête Jángandoo: pour une dynamique positive de changement du système scolaire à partir des résultats 2014 |trans-title=Jángandoo Survey: Working towards a positive change in the school system based on 2014 results |url=http://news.adakar.com/h/47063.html |access-date=2026-01-04 |website=aDakar.com |language=fr}}</ref> In 1991, Sarr formalised APROFES' status into a supportive organisation so that it could receive external funding; its first contributor was Oxfam.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Sharp |first=Robin |title=Senegal: a state of change |date=1994 |publisher=Oxfam |isbn=978-0-85598-283-6 |series=An Oxfam Country Profile |location=Oxford |pages=25}}</ref>
By 1994, Sarr, in her capacity as a civil servant, was head of Kaolack's regional hydraulics division.<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":11">{{Cite news |last=Sagne |first=Mohamadou |date=15 September 2008 |title=Assises Nationales - Le comité départemental de Kaolack |trans-title=National Conference - The Kaolack Departmental Committee |url=https://fr.allafrica.com/stories/200809150801.html |work=Le Soleil |language=fr}}</ref> That year, she worked with Eau Vive, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to drinking water, to construct a water network serving a dozen villages in Senegal.<ref name=":6" /> Her promotion of Eau Vive in the region led to the establishment of a permanent Senegal chapter.<ref name=":6" /> To expand the association's international reach, APROFES joined the partnership network of the Committee for the Abolition of Illegitimate Debt in 1996.<ref name=":5" /> In 2000, APROFES became a non-governmental organisation.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=Invisibles |first=Géantes |date=2023-09-07 |title=Binta Sarr - Géantes Invisibles |url=https://www.geantesinvisibles.com/biographie/binta-sarr/ |access-date=2026-01-04 |website=geantesinvisibles.com |language=fr-FR}}</ref>
By the time of Sarr's death, APROFES was operational in 35 localities.<ref name=":7" />
=== Gender parity case === In 2014, Sarr and APROFES challenged Kaolack's municipal council for failing to satisfy Senegal's constitutional law on gender parity, which requires equal representation of men and women in decision-making bodies.<ref name=":2" /> At the time, Kaolack's municipal bureau contained 8 members, of which only one was a woman.<ref name=":2" /> The case, initially dismissed by Kaolack's court of appeal, was ultimately heard in Senegal's highest court, the Court of Cassation.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Touré |first=Babou |date=2016-12-30 |title=Élection bureau paritaire de la commune Kaolack, la société civile n'a pas dit son dernier mot |trans-title=In the Kaolack municipal council's joint election, civil society has not yet had its final say |url=https://www.senenews.com/actualites/election-bureau-paritaire-de-la-commune-kaolack-la-societe-civile-na-pas-dit-son-dernier-mot_176541.html |access-date=2026-01-04 |website=Senenews |language=fr}}</ref> On 8 January 2015, the court ordered the municipal government to dissolve and introduce the required parity measures.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":8" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Touré |first=Babou |date=2016-10-04 |title=Enquête: Non-respect de la parité, quand la mairie de Kaolack déchire l’arrêt de la Cour Suprême |trans-title=Investigation: Non-compliance with gender parity, while Kaolack city hall tears up Supreme Court ruling |url=https://www.senenews.com/actualites/enquete-non-respect-de-la-parite-quand-la-mairie-de-kaolack-dechire-larret-de-la-cour-supreme-2_167954.html |access-date=2026-01-04 |website=Senenews - Actualité au Sénégal, Politique, Économie, Sport |language=fr}}</ref>
== Other work ==
=== International economics === Throughout her life, Sarr advocated for Africa to receive greater representation in discussions around international economics.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Proceso (magazine) |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Proceso/s4kwAAAAYAAJ |title=Proceso Issues 1262-1269 |author-link2=Proceso (magazine) |date=2001 |publisher=Cisa |pages=54 |language=es}}</ref> In 1993, Sarr and APROFES endorsed recommendations to advance global food security, as put forward by the World Bank at its 1993 World Conference on Overcoming Global Hunger.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/951651468739437112/pdf/multi0page.pdf |title=World Conference on Overcoming Global Hunger, 1993 |date=1 December 1993 |publisher=World Bank Group |edition=1st |location=Washington |pages=221 |language=en}}</ref> She provided support to political scientist Éric Toussaint's 1999 work, ''Your Money or Your Life: The Tyranny of Global Finance.''<ref>{{Cite book |last=Toussaint |first=Éric |title=Your money or your life! The tyranny of global finance |last2=Toussaint |first2=Éric |date=1999 |publisher=Pluto Press |isbn=978-0-7453-1417-4 |location=London |pages=x |language=en}}</ref> In 2002, she presented on Africa–Europe relations at the 2002 European Social Forum.<ref>{{Cite news |date=3 November 2002 |title=Africa: L'Europa vista con occhi africani |trans-title=Africa: Europe Seen Through African Eyes |work=l'Unità}}</ref>
=== Government work === As part of the National Assizes of Senegal in 2008, Sarr was appointed by the Kaolack municipal administration to head a committee on citizens’ issues for the region.<ref name=":11" /> In 2012, Sarr provided advice to the government of Senegal, again on regional issues for Kaolack.<ref name=":7" /> Later, in January 2015, Senegal nominated Sarr to serve as the country's independent expert regarding the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.<ref name=":3" />
=== Advocacy for women === In 2000, Sarr contributed an essay, ''{{lang|fr|Féminisation de la pauvreté au Sénégal}}'' ("The feminisation of poverty in Senegal") to a publication by the Committee for the Abolition of Illegitimate Debt.<ref name=":9">{{Cite book |title=Le bateau ivre de la mondialisation: escales au sein du village planétaire |date=2000 |publisher=Syllepse ; Comité pour l'annulation de la dette du tiers monde |isbn=978-2-913165-34-2 |editor-last=Zacharie |editor-first=Arnaud |location=Paris : Bruxelles |pages=96–112 |language=fr |trans-title=The Drunken Ship of Globalization: Stopovers in the Global Village |editor-last2=Toussaint |editor-first2=Eric}}</ref> She argued that sustainable economic change would only be possible through teaching women the skills required to self-organise and lead their own immediate communities.<ref name=":9" /> Sarr also participated in the Royal Tropical Institute's West Africa Gender Inclusive Citizenship project in 2012, reporting on research conducted partly by APROFES on access to justice for victims of sexual violence in Senegal.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=2012 |title=Women in search of citizenship |url=https://www.kit.nl/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/2042_women_in_search_of_citizenship.pdf |journal=KIT Publications |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=93-102 |via=Royal Tropical Institute}}</ref>
== Death and legacy == Sarr, having experienced poor health throughout her sixties, died 15 September 2019.<ref name=":7" />
=== Legacy === APROFES continued to execute its mission following Sarr's death.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web |date=10 March 2025 |title=Meet women driving climate resilience in their communities in Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal |url=https://www.fao.org/in-action/saga/news-and-events/news/news-detail/meet-women-driving-climate-resilience-in-their-communities-in-c%C3%B4te-d-ivoire-and-senegal/en |access-date=2026-01-04 |website=FAO |language=en}}</ref> In 2025, the association partnered with the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization to educate women in sustainable farming practices.<ref name=":10" /> Also that year, APROFES partnered with the Senegalese Council of Women to craft a plan for enforcing Senegal's gender parity provisions ahead of the 2027 elections.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Deme |first=Assane |date=2025-07-11 |title=Kaolack : le COSEF et d’autres acteurs portent le plaidoyer pour l’application de la loi sur la parité |trans-title=Kaolack: COSEF and other stakeholders advocate for the implementation of the parity law |url=https://aps.sn/kaolack-le-cosef-et-dautres-acteurs-portent-le-plaidoyer-pour-lapplication-de-la-loi-sur-la-parite/ |access-date=2026-01-04 |language=fr-FR}}</ref>
Invisible Giants, an artistic project dedicated to chronicling notable African women, dedicated its 2019 "Coffee Table Book" to Sarr, describing her as "a giantess whose greatness was too soon removed from our affection."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Coffee Table Book - Géantes Invisibles 2019 |url=https://sn.boell.org/fr/2020/01/08/coffee-table-book-geantes-invisibles-2019 |access-date=2026-01-04 |website=sn.boell.org |publisher=Heinrich Boell Foundation |language=fr |quote="Dédié spécialement à Binta Sarr, cette géante dont la grandeur a été trop tôt soustraite à notre affection."}}</ref> Sarr's life and work were showcased in a 2024 children's book, ''My Name is Yedia'', written by Coumba Touré and illustrated by Beatrice Mutasah.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Leigh Smith |first=Sydney |title=Book Review: My Name is Yedia |url=https://www.memria.org/blog/book-review-my-name-is-yedia |access-date=2026-01-04 |website=Memria |language=en}}</ref> Touré has described Sarr as her role model.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Diouf |first=Oumar |date=1 April 2020 |title=Coumba Touré, Lauréate du prix Martin et Correta King - Féministe intégrale |trans-title=Coumba Touré, Winner of the Martin and Correta King Prize: Comprehensive Feminist |url=https://fr.allafrica.com/stories/202004020440.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804113212/https://fr.allafrica.com/stories/202004020440.html |archive-date=2020-08-04 |access-date=2026-01-04 |work=allAfrica.fr |language=fr |url-status=live }}</ref>
== References ==
<references /> {{DEFAULTSORT:Sarr, Binta}} Category:1954 births Category:2019 deaths Category:20th-century Senegalese people Category:20th-century Senegalese women Category:21st-century Senegalese people Category:21st-century Senegalese women Category:Cheikh Anta Diop University alumni Category:People from Kaolack region Category:Senegalese engineers Category:Senegalese women activists Category:Senegalese women engineers Category:Senegalese women's rights activists