Zabib Musa Loro Bakhit is a South Sudanese women's rights and gender equality activist, recognised for her extensive work in fragile, post-conflict settings. In 2025 she was awarded the International Women of Courage Award by the U.S. Department of State for her leadership, resilience, and commitment to advancing human rights, particularly for women, and her advocacy in policy, community programs, and gender-based initiatives.
Bakhit has more than ten years of experience working in settings affected by conflict, fragility, and resource constraints.[1]
She has held multiple leadership and representative roles at both national and regional levels. She has served as Chairperson of the Network of Aids Service Organizations in South Sudan (NASOSS), and as Chairperson of the East African National Network of Health Service Organizations (EANNASO).[1][2][3]
She has also been a Regional Board Member for the Strategic Initiative in the Horn of Africa Network, a member of the Steering Committee of the NGO Forum, and convenor of the Women Human Rights Defenders Network.[1][2]
Bakhit founded Women for Justice and Equality, a South Sudanese organization focused on grassroots implementation of Women, Peace, and Security programming, particularly in underserved communities. In that capacity she has been involved in community engagement, mentorship, development operations, policy advocacy, and oversight of research projects.[2][1]
The award was conferred for her leadership in gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), transitional justice, and her ability to mobilize civic actors in challenging settings.[4]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
