Aisha Dabo

Judging Panel (Vice-Chairperson)

Aisha Dabo is a perfectly bilingual (English-French) media and communications professional on the African continent. She has covered many major events on the continent such as summits, presidential elections, humanitarian crises - her speciality being political governance etc. She is the co-founder and Programmes Coordinator of AfricTivistes, a Pan-African organisation bringing together journalists, bloggers, web activists and change actors to promote democratic values, human rights and good governance on the continent using tech and digital tools. She worked as news editor for prominent media houses on the continent and communication officer for international development organisations while running non for profit pro-democracy campaigns for sociopolitical change around the continent including The Gambia. Her work revolves around current new, participatory democracy, transparency, freedom of expression, freedom of the press and access to information with the belief that informed citizens can shape a just and equitable democratic society. She has written extensively on women rights, digital rights, social movements, youth engagement and political participation, democracy and digital governance.

She sits on several boards including AfricTivistes, the West African participatory and citizen think tank WATHI, the International Coalition for the Renewal of Democracy ICDR, the social enterprise KITAMBAA which empowers women and girls. She is also a board member of the US-based organisation Democracy Watch News, the Fact-Check Centre, The Gambia, the Advisory Board of the Participatory Research on Digital Rights and Security and Cybersecurity of the Greater Internet Freedom Project as well as Oxfam Intermón's Technology and Human Rights Advisory Board focusing on digitalisation, human rights and building future alternatives.

Aisha holds a degree in journalism from Cheikh Anta Diop University, Senegal, a BA in French and English languages and literature from the University of The Gambia, and a MA in Literature from the University of Limoges, France. She has been trained in newspaper and radio production, documentary production, multimedia journalism, 360 communication, public and media relations, digital, outreach and development communication, early childhood development, intercultural diversity and inclusion, gender equality, online safety and cybersecurity, mapping and data journalism, investigative journalism, brand and image development