Amsatou Sow Sidibé, born on October 14, 1953, in Dakar, is a trailblazing Senegalese academic and politician. She holds the distinction of being the first Senegalese woman to earn a degree in legal and political sciences. Her leadership and commitment to peace and dialogue have made her a prominent figure in Senegal’s political landscape. In 2012, she became the first woman to run for the presidency in Senegal, and she was also the first woman to serve on the National Election Observatory (ONEL).
With a doctorate in law and political science from Université Paris II, Sidibé is a full professor and the Chair of Private Law at Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD) in Dakar. She also heads the university’s Institute for Human Rights and Peace. As the president of the African Network for the Promotion of Working Women (Rafet), she has published numerous works on human rights and has been a vocal advocate for women’s rights through national radio programs.
Sidibé’s educational journey began at Berthe Maubert primary school and continued at Lycée John-Fitzgerald-Kennedy. She then attended the Faculty of Legal and Economic Sciences at the University of Dakar before moving to France to study at the University of Paris II Panthéon Sorbonne. There, she brilliantly defended her thesis for a State Doctorate in Law, which was awarded by the University of Paris II and published by LGDJ Paris.
Starting her career in 1974 at the law school of Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, Sidibé faced challenges in an overcrowded amphitheater but persisted in her efforts. Her determination led her to become the first Senegalese woman to succeed in the competition for aggregation in legal and political science of the African and Malagasy Council for Higher Education (CAMES). She is now a Professor of Exceptional Class, with a 40-year university career during which she has trained generations of students and senior executives from Senegal, Africa, and beyond.
Sidibé has also served as an Advisor to the President of the Republic of Senegal. She believes that women are natural leaders and the backbone of families and society. Their leadership must be valued by knowledge, know-how, and competence, and guided by values. Sidibé encourages women to be aware of their intrinsic values and trust in themselves to build a fairer, more balanced, and more united world.
In addition to her academic and political achievements, Sidibé has worked extensively in the field of women’s rights. As President of the African Network for the Promotion of African Women Workers (RAFET), she has operated in more than 40 localities in Senegal and various other African countries. She has advanced many reforms on behalf of women in Senegal, including the first draft legislation on violence against women and the idea of a law on parity. Sidibé’s tireless activism for peace and her contributions to the search for peace in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire have earned her numerous accolades, including a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize for the “1,000 Women” project in 2005.
