Women’s empowerment, gender equality, Folly Bah Thibault is pushing boundaries for a fair access to education, especially in Africa. Renowned journalist at Al Jazeera English in Qatar, she sat down with The Dialogue to talk about her engagement from the news desks to the school desks.
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00:00 driven by a commitment to uncover the truth and inspire others.
00:06 French Guinean journalist Folly Batibo is one of TV's top news anchors.
00:13 As principal presenter here at Al Jazeera English,
00:16 she interviews world leaders and reports on some of the biggest stories of our time.
00:22 As the founder and president of El Ira a la Col foundation,
00:27 Folly is on a mission to improve girls education in Guinea and the wider African region.
00:34 An issue that remains a major concern for both governments and civil society.
00:39 Hello, I'm Folly Batibo. I'm a journalist and advocate for girls education.
00:45 From news desks to school desks, Folly's work continues to inspire,
00:51 helping to change the world with the power of education.
00:56 Al Jazeera English
00:59 Hey Folly.
01:08 Hi Guy. Welcome to Al Jazeera.
01:10 Thank you. Thanks for letting us in.
01:12 My pleasure.
01:13 Well we're here in Al Jazeera English, a place where you've worked for 14 years.
01:17 Must feel like a second home to you. Where is home?
01:21 Wow Guy, that's always a tough one for me to answer because I feel like I'm from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
01:27 I was born in Guinea, West Africa, raised in Kenya, lived in the US for a very long time, in France as well, and now in Qatar.
01:36 So my go-to answer is always it depends on which team is playing. That's where I'm from.
01:41 But no, I guess that in my heart Guinea is where home is because that's where my family lives.
01:48 And that's where I have my roots I guess.
01:51 So Folly, you've interviewed world leaders, you've covered many of the biggest issues out there,
01:59 natural disasters, wars, political unrest, some really tough stories.
02:04 Do those stories ever impact you personally?
02:09 You know I've been good I think at compartmentalizing my life in a way that my work as a journalist is in a drawer
02:19 and my life as a mother, as a wife, as all the other roles that I have is in another drawer.
02:25 And so when I'm doing my job as a journalist I try not to think about the other things.
02:30 But it's a very difficult exercise as you know.
02:32 It's difficult to talk about stories that affect children, wars, the impact of war on children in Gaza for example,
02:40 the impact of war on women in Gaza because I have children, I am a woman, I'm a mother,
02:45 and seeing the images every day can get to you.
02:48 Once or twice in these past four months I've cried, which I never do, because it's just so difficult.
02:56 It's as hard as you try to put a distance between the two roles, it's difficult.
03:03 And you're about to go on air very soon to millions of people.
03:08 I think a lot of people watching might wonder what it's like in these moments.
03:13 What are you thinking? Is it difficult to combat the adrenaline, to stay calm, to stay focused
03:20 when you're about to go out there and broadcast to millions?
03:22 I've been doing this for a long time and it's always exciting to sit down there and deliver the news to people.
03:29 And I think that's my favourite moment.
03:32 Before sitting down on the set it's always a bit nervous and excitement and you don't know what's going to happen.
03:39 But once you sit down and you start telling the story and doing your job then everything just falls into place.
03:44 I feel like I have a role and responsibility to bring the news to people in a calm manner first of all,
03:51 in an unbiased way. And it's always a pleasure for me.
03:56 I never get bored. Every day coming in this space is exciting.
04:00 Away from the bright lights of the newsroom and we discover another folly.
04:08 We're at the French School in Doha and you're talking to the kids about girls' education, aren't you?
04:14 You're also giving things, donating things, pens, books, toys, clothes, things that perhaps these kids might take for granted
04:23 to a school that your NGO has built in Guinea for 100 girls.
04:27 Why is girls' education so important to you?
04:30 I come from a family of five girls, born into a culture and a society which for a very long time didn't believe in the value of having a girl.
04:37 Didn't see women as equal members of society. There was always a preference for boys.
04:42 So my mother's lifelong goal after having had five daughters was to prove to society and even to our own family
04:50 that if you give girls a good education, if they're given an opportunity to learn,
04:58 then they can be successful and they can achieve even more than boys.
05:04 I've seen what education has done for my sisters and I.
05:07 It's allowed us to become independent, to decide on our future.
05:12 And that's what we want to achieve with La Fondation Elira à l'école,
05:17 which was actually the idea of my late sister, Kesso, who with her first salary at UNAIDS in Benin,
05:24 decided to enroll all the kids of domestic workers in her neighborhood in Cotonou in school.
05:30 So by taking on this mission, we're also making sure that her legacy lives on
05:36 and making sure that we help young girls in Africa and beyond have a good quality education
05:43 so that they can decide on their future.
05:46 I'm here in Qatar today working at a leading television network around the world,
05:51 but I think that my success as an African woman doesn't mean anything if I don't give back.
05:57 And this is my way of giving back.
05:59 Now last April, you were appointed global champion of Education Cannot Wait, the UN Education Fund.
06:06 What's that about? What's the mission?
06:08 I have to say that that was one of the proudest moments of my career.
06:12 And my mission as a champion is to continue advocating for increased funding for education,
06:19 to leverage my networks, to connect people, resources, talents, know-how,
06:23 and to ensure as a journalist that our collective storytelling on education
06:29 doesn't forget these 222 million children around the world who so urgently need our help.
06:36 And that's why I'm here today at the school to speak to the kids.
06:40 It's important that children who are in a privileged position today,
06:43 who are in this beautiful school with books everywhere,
06:47 with endless educational materials and supplies, understand the fortunate position they're in
06:53 because there are millions of kids elsewhere around the world
06:56 who are not as fortunate to have this quality education that they have today.
07:01 You're from a family of five girls.
07:03 Yeah, and I ended up having three boys.
07:05 You ended up having three boys.
07:07 What role then for boys as we look to a more positive future for girls?
07:12 I think, in fact, that boys, men, have the most important role
07:18 in achieving gender equality and women's empowerment.
07:22 We have to engage them to counter the harmful effects of masculinity.
07:28 They have to be part of the conversation.
07:30 I teach my boys and educate them about the perspectives and the challenges
07:35 and the experiences that women face.
07:37 I think once we're able to change the mindset of men and boys
07:43 about what a woman's role should be, then we're halfway there to empowering women.
07:50 Changing mindsets, empowering women.
07:51 Folly, it's been a delight to spend the day with you.
07:53 Thanks so much for joining us on the Diary.
07:55 Thank you so much. Thank you. My pleasure. Thank you.
07:57 (upbeat music)