On the occasion of International Women’s Day, 8 March 2026, the Institut Pasteur de Dakar pays tribute to the women who, every day, drive public health, scientific research and innovation forward in Senegal and around the world. Under the global theme “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL women and girls”, IPD chooses to give a voice to those who embody this commitment on a daily basis.
Fourteen voices to carry a shared message
To mark this day, the Institut Pasteur de Dakar gave the floor to fourteen women from the institution: researchers, engineers, epidemiologists, laboratory managers and members of the administrative teams. Fourteen different journeys, one shared conviction: genuine equality is the sine qua non of any scientific and social progress.
“Here at IPD, rights are not just celebrated — they are exercised. Every day. By our women. With our women. For all women. Rights. Justice. Action. — Ms Ndeye Adama Sarr, President of the IPD Women’s Association”
A strong institutional commitment
In a message addressed to the entire institution, Director General Dr Ibrahima Socé Fall paid tribute to the essential contribution of IPD’s women: researchers, trainers, producers, innovators and leaders who advance the institution’s mission in service of public health every day.
He reaffirmed a fundamental conviction: no scientific progress, no social justice and no healthy society can be built without genuine equality between women and men. This day is an opportunity to renew that commitment — not as an abstract principle, but as a lived reality within the IPD.
Women at the heart of IPD’s scientific excellence
The Institut Pasteur de Dakar is an institution where women occupy a central place: in virology and immunology laboratories, in the coordination of regional reference centres, in the development of mRNA vaccines at the Vaccine Research Center, and in the leadership of public health programmes at national and international level.
This diversity and parity are sources of strength. They enrich scientific quality, foster institutional creativity and enhance IPD’s capacity to respond to the most complex health challenges.
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