We are saddened by the sudden demise of Fatima, who was a great leader and localisation champion. The A4EP family is still struggling to come to terms with this news.

Fatima was passionate about gender rights and justice and worked tirelessly to advocate for policy change and concrete action. She founded Rehabilitation Empowerment and Better Health Initiative (REBHI) with the aim of promoting and protecting women’s rights, empowering women and girls through livelihood and psychosocial support. Being a qualified lawyer, she used her legal expertise to bring justice to survivors of sexual and Gender-Based violence.  She worked tirelessly to raise awareness about GVB globally, including in the UN Security Council. She was a local WLO representative in the GBV Area of Responsibility.

She has worked closely with donors, UN agencies, governments, INGOs, and local actors, advocating for inclusive and gender-responsive funding mechanisms. She was the local civil society representative on the Advisory Board of the Nigerian Humanitarian Fund.  Fatima’s active engagement in the CBPF-NGO Dialogue Platform Advisory Group at the Global level led to the initiation of a resource facility for local actors. She also acted as a mentor to new advisory board members, sharing her lived experiences and providing guidance.

Fatima was actively engaged with A4EP since its early days and served as a member of the International Convening Committee. She was a powerful advocate and spokesperson for localisation. She represented A4EP as the Sherpa of the Grand Bargain and played a vital role in the facilitation group and in co-moderating sessions at the annual meeting, bringing in her own fabulous dress style, humility and humour and left a lasting impression on the GB family and the Ambassadors, proving that local actors have the capability if they are given the space and voice. During the Nexus conference in Copenhagen, she impressed everyone by providing an entirely new definition of local actors. She was also a co-chair of the GB Community of Practice on Gender.

A4EP will continue to build on the work we started together. We will miss her camaraderie, wisdom, courage, empathy, laughter and warmth. Our thoughts are also with her family, friends and colleagues during this difficult time.