Professor Fatou Sow Sarr has a multidisciplinary background with a PhD in Social Work and Social Policy from Laval University, a PhD in Sociology and Political Anthropology from Paris VIII, a Diploma of Advanced Studies in Development Sociology from IEDES-Paris I Sorbonne, a Diploma of Advanced Studies in Environmental Sciences from Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD) of Dakar, and a French Master's in Development Economics from the School of Economics of Aix-Marseille II.

Professor Sarr has been a social mission officer and technical advisor at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Director of the Gender and Family Institute. She has taught at the University of Namur in Belgium, then at the National Institute of Social Workers in Dakar, before joining IFAN in 1999. In 2004, she created a Gender and Scientific Research Laboratory to integrate the gender dimension into UCAD, train, and supervise students.

Since 1998, she has been a gender training expert and has developed and evaluated gender programs and budgets for UN institutions in about twenty African and Caribbean countries (Haiti, DRC, Rwanda, Togo, Gabon, Burundi, Mauritius, Congo, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Chad, Morocco, Djibouti, Sao Tome and Principe, among others).

Professor Sarr teaches at several European universities, including the Center for African Studies in Madrid, the University of LLeida in Spain, the University of Granada, and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID) in Geneva.

She is the author of several publications, scientific articles, and reports on gender and development, women and power, female entrepreneurship, climate change and the environment, social policy, migration, security, migration and capital transfer, illegal migration, local development, gender and energy, gender-based violence, women's leadership, gender parity, among others.

She has been involved in the political and economic empowerment of women through various organizations, including the Women Leaders' Caucus, which played a crucial role in the passage of the gender parity law in Senegal. She is the coordinator for French-speaking Africa of the Women's Political Participation program, funded by Swedish cooperation and implemented by IDEA.

Professor Sarr has been involved in activities of national importance, as a member of the Higher Education Reform Committee (2013), the National Consultation Committee on Health and Social Protection (2012), and the Higher Council for Radio and Television (2001 to 2006).

She has also been involved in international programs as a member of the Scientific Committee of Africa 2020 to identify issues specific to women artists in Africa and write a more inclusive art history (AWARE, Paris), member of the WHO Advisory Committee on Health Research and Development, member of the IMF Advisory Group for Sub-Saharan Africa, member of the Executive Committee of the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE/Nairobi).

Awards
Prof. Sarr has received numerous distinctions, including: Commander of the National Order of the Lion of Senegal in 2020, Knight of the Order of the Legion of Honor of France in 2018, Officer of the National Order of the Lion of Senegal in 2015, the Re-Source Sunnunet Prize for the Exceptional Citizen 2015 for her work and commitment to the nation, the 2014 Cauris d'Or Award for Best Female Manager in Senegal for MEDES (Association of Enterprises of Senegal), the 2013 Boston Pan-African Alliance Award for her work and publications on gender issues), named Eminent Educationalist in 2008 by the Executive Committee of the Forum of African Women Educationalists (FAWE).

Mrs. Sandra OULATÉ FATTOH is a key figure in promoting gender equality and women's empowerment in West Africa. She is the Director of the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre (EGDC), the primary body for integrating gender policies across the West African region. Her humanitarian actions, which demonstrate her great dedication and unwavering commitment to the women of the region, are part of a collective movement aimed at transforming mindsets and establishing a more just society.

Convinced that all women, regardless of their social status or origin, deserve to live with dignity, she illustrates this through her unwavering commitment to those who are marginalized and excluded from society. Under her leadership, the Centre has intensified its fight against obstetric fistula through concrete initiatives aimed at giving hope to those who suffer in silence. Now, beyond free medical care, they also benefit from socio-economic support to enable them to lead productive and useful lives and contribute to the development of the ECOWAS region. In this dynamic, Mrs. OULATÉ has, on behalf of the Centre, made a strong gesture by presenting a check for $245,000 to eight countries, thus marking a crucial step in the fight against obstetric fistula.

Far from limiting herself to the fight against obstetric fistula, Mrs. OULATÉ and her team are also working to intensify their efforts in favor of the ECOWAS Gender Agenda. Under her leadership, initiatives aimed at building resilient communities are promoted based on the values of equal rights between men and women. In this momentum, she has overseen the implementation of the Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions (GES-PI), thus strengthening the capacity of regional institutions to promote inclusive governance.

Mrs. OULATÉ's unwavering commitment and leadership make her an influential voice in the fight for a more equitable West African society. Her various actions contribute to advancing women's rights in the region, while promoting their inclusion in decision-making processes.

Beyond figures and projects, everything is for her above all a question of human dignity. It is in the laughter, tears, and hopes of women that she finds her strength and motivation. She is not only an activist, but a woman of Heart who understands that each commitment is a promise of change, for all those who, one day, have lost hope.

These various initiatives reflect an unwavering determination to advance the cause of women in West Africa. Through her commitment and humanism, she inspires not only future generations of women, but also society as a whole, by proving that change is possible when one acts with compassion and determination.