special disco mention #21: bineta diop

Bineta Diop is the African Union‘s first ever Special Envoy for Women – a newly created position that exists to amplify women’s voices across the African continent, especially in conflict zones where, often, the only voices to be heard are male. 

Starting in the position only a few days ago, Diop has already met with a group of women from South Sudan – an area in a particularly precarious situation, where women’s voices are all omitted in the quest for a solution to the violent problems that have seen close to 1 million people displaced since December 2013.

As Diop says: ‘My mandate will be to listen to women like the women of South Sudan, echo their voice, help them to bring their agenda on peace and security.’

Having set up the organisation Femmes Africa Solidarit more than a decade ago – an organisation that works towards similar goals to her current mandate – Diop is clearly the right person for the job. 

A modern heroine, Diop works with women in some of the most dangerous regions of the world – she’s spent time in both the Central African Republic and Burundi and now, as mentioned, is working with South Sudanese women. 

The overall goal of her position is to ensure that women play a part in conflict resolution and the restructuring of nations post-war, having seen the absolute mess that male dominated governments have made of trying to sort out lasting peace across the African continent (and, let’s face it – the entire world) Diop’s work could be the beginning of a revolution we really, really need.

The end of macho posturing and the most important issues being endangered/obscured by the rampant male ego? 

Well, maybe that’s some way off but Bineta Diop is most definitely pushing for the kind of progress the world sorely requires, and for that she’s most certainly deserving of this week’s special disco mention.