Hala Alkarib

Hala Alkarib is a life-long Sudanese women's rights and human rights advocate. She is the Regional Director of the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Network, an umbrella organization working to strengthen the capacity of grassroots women’s organizations, address gender inequality and prevent violence against women and girls in the Greater Horn of Africa. In this role, Ms. Alkarib has led projects that have directly changed the lives of women and girls in Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Uganda. Through her work with SIHA, Ms. Alkarib has been deeply involved in the Darfur crises, where she has spent the last 22 years working with women and girls to protect them from systemic human rights violations and to promote justice and accountability. She was a leading voice in the Sudanese 2019 revolution that led to the overthrow of former Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir’s three-decade-long dictatorship, working closely with grassroots women’s groups, activists, and youth networks to demand democratic reforms and gender justice. Through her work at SIHA advancing peace, gender equality, women’s participation, and protection of women human rights defenders, Ms. Alkarib has received international recognition, including the Women, Peace, and Security Civil Society Leadership Award from Global Affairs Canada (2023), and being named as one of CNN’s Top 30 Gender Equality Defenders and  BBC's 100 most inspiring and influential women in 2024.