Satang Nabaneh
Satang Nabaneh | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Nationality | Gambian |
| Education | PhD |
| Alma mater | University of The Gambia University of Pretoria |
| Occupation(s) | Legal scholar, human rights practitioner |
| Employer | University of Dayton |
| Known for | Gender justice, constitutional law, reproductive rights |
| Website | satangnabaneh |
Satang Nabaneh is a Gambian legal scholar, feminist activist, social justice advocate, and human rights practitioner. She is the Director of Programs and Research Professor of Law at the University of Dayton Human Rights Center in the United States.[1] Her work focuses on constitutional law, gender equality, and sexual and reproductive health rights in Africa.
In 2024, she was named one of the “10 African Scholars to Watch” by ''The Africa Report alongside Toyin Ajao, Naminata Diabate, and Simukai Chigudu for her contributions to feminist legal theory and public policy.[2]
Education
[edit]Nabaneh was born in the Gambia and earned her Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the University of The Gambia in 2012.[3][4] She completed her Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Human Rights and Democratization in Africa and her Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) at the University of Pretoria in South Africa.[5][4]
Career
[edit]Nabaneh is a legal scholar and educator whose work spans international human rights law, comparative constitutional law, feminist legal theory and sexual and reproductive health and rights issues.[4] She has served as a postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for Human Rights in Pretoria and currently holds a joint appointment at the University of Dayton’s Human Rights Center and School of Law.[1]
She is the founder of Law Hub Gambia, a civic education and legal research platform, and co-founder of Think Young Women, an organization focused on empowering young women through leadership and advocacy.[6]
Research and Advocacy
[edit]Nabaneh’s research addresses the intersections of law, gender, and health in African legal systems.[4] She has written extensively on sexual and reproductive rights, conscientious objection in abortion care, and gendered dimensions of constitutional reform.[4][7][8]
In 2024, she delivered a keynote lecture on “Gendered Politics of Autocratization in Africa” at the University of Bergen’s Centre for Research on Discretion and Paternalism and LawTransform.[9]
In May of the same year, Nabaneh was quoted in Time magazine expressing concern that repealing The Gambia’s ban on female genital mutilation could undermine regional efforts to protect women's rights.[7]
Nabaneh has been quoted as saying, “I sometimes joke that I never really had a normal childhood. When other kids were outside playing, I was sitting at conferences with presidents. It was exciting but also made me realize from very early on that I carried a responsibility to my community, to my country, to Africa.”[8]
Selected publications
[edit]- Sexual Harassment, Law and Human Rights in Africa (Palgrave Macmillan, 2023), co-editor. ISBN 9783031323669
- The Gambia in Transition: Towards a New Constitutional Order (Pretoria University Law Press, 2022), co-editor. ISBN 9781776411658
- Choice and Conscience: Lessons from South Africa for a Global Debate (Pretoria University Law Press, 2023), editor. ISBN 9781776411672
- "The Status of Women’s Reproductive Rights in Africa", Völkerrechtsblog, 9 March 2022. doi:10.17176/20220309-120935-0
- "Abortion and ‘conscientious objection’ in South Africa: The need for regulation", in E. Durojaye, G. Mirugi-Mukundi & C. Ngwena (eds), Advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Africa: Constraints and Opportunities (Routledge, 2021), pp. 16–34. ISBN 9780367467630
- "The Gambia’s Political Transition to Democracy: Is Abortion Reform Possible?", Health and Human Rights Journal, 21(2), December 2019, pp. 167–179. Available online
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Satang Nabaneh". University of Dayton. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
- ^ "10 African scholars to watch in 2024". The Africa Report. 23 January 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
- ^ "Educational Background – Satang Nabaneh". Satang Nabaneh. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
- ^ a b c d e "Chatting with Satang Nabaneh". Völkerrechtsblog. 9 December 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
- ^ "Dr Satang Nabaneh". Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
- ^ "Satang Nabaneh: A Gambian Legal Scholar Making Global Impact". The Point. February 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
- ^ a b "Gambia's Move to Repeal FGM Ban Risks Women's Rights Globally". Time. 23 May 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
- ^ a b "A Childhood that shaped Activism: Satang Nabaneh". Chr. Michelsen Institute. 19 September 2025. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
- ^ "Gendered Politics of Autocratization in Africa". LawTransform. March 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2025.