In Dakar, the Heinrich Böll Foundation awarded the prestigious 2026 Anne Klein Prize to Awa Fall Diop. Between pride in past struggles and clear-sightedness in the face of new threats, the Senegalese activist reaffirms that the fight for equality is far from over.

For Awa Fall Diop, challenging the patriarchy began with school textbooks. Refusing to see women confined to the roles of "cooking, children, and home," she secured a thorough revision of educational materials. Her greatest pride? Seeing a young girl in books today conducting scientific experiments or piloting a rocket to the moon. A way of transforming reality through imagination from a very young age.

Globalized activism and its downsides

When questioned by Charlotte Idrac about the evolution of activism, the former minister highlighted a paradigm shift. While the historical thread remains the same, the method has changed. "Young feminists are now acting on a global scale, creating instant connections between Benin, the United States, and Uzbekistan," she noted with satisfaction. However, this increased visibility comes with a harsh downside: cyberbullying and systematic denunciation.

Awa Fall Diop is concerned about a wave of international intolerance. She denounces a "sweeping weight" and a "dark veil" imposed by anti-gender and anti-progress movements that extend from Europe to African countries. For her, this desire to roll back women's rights to "dark times" is simply unacceptable.

The Anne Klein Prize is not an end in itself, but a reminder of the ongoing struggle. True to her philosophy, she concludes: “It’s a sign that what we’ve done is good, but that there’s still more to be done. Good is good, but when better arrives, good flees.” For the laureate, as long as even one woman on the planet suffers patriarchal oppression, the fight will continue.