Meet Pascale Solages, a passionate advocate who amplifies Haitian women and girls’ voices globally

When Pascale Solages first set foot on the courtyard of Collège Saint-Louis de Bourdon as a young girl in the 1990s, few would have predicted she would grow into one of Haiti’s boldest feminist leaders.

Raised in a conservative Catholic girls’ school in Port-au-Prince that emphasized obedience and decorum, Solages was taught to be “silent and proper.”

Today, she leads one of Haiti’s most vocal feminist organizations, Nègès Mawon, and advocates globally on behalf of Haitian women and girls.

Whenever an opportunity arises to present herself publicly, she says: “My name is Pascale Solages. I am a Haitian feminist, political activist, and one of the co-founders of Nègès Mawon, a feminist organization in Haiti.” 

What has fueled her conviction in championing women’s rights is understandable.  

“The mother [head nun at her school] taught us how to be as girls—and later, as women,” Solages recalled during an exclusive interview with The Haitian Times. “How to sit, how to laugh, what posture to keep to be seen as virtuous.”

Though the school aimed to build confidence through public speaking and creative coursework, Solages saw through the limitations placed on women’s roles in society. From those early days, she understood that her path would involve challenging systems, rather than conforming to them.

Being the first-born to a family of three children in 1987, Solages grew up amidst Haiti’s struggles following Duvalier’s dictatorship, fighting for the rule of law, equity, justice and democracy. She became a political activist at an early age. As a grassroots organizer, the 38-year-old sometimes embodies a Black Panther character.

“If I were to describe Pascale in one sentence, I would say that she is someone who respects EVERYONE but is not afraid of ANYONE!” said Wendy Adrien, a psychologist who has known Solages for 15 years.  Through her work for the Los Angeles-based Aids Health Foundation (AHF-Haiti), Adrien collaborates with Solages and Nègès Mawon, supporting women survivors of gender-based violence. “You can feel the essence of this character in her leadership and in the battles she leads every day.”

Solages illuminates issues that society often conceals, like feminicide and abortion, which isn’t legalized in Haiti, Adrien added. 

“Pascale is not a lip service feminist activist; she is a genuine advocate who dedicates her energy, her soul, and her heart to her beliefs and works tirelessly to bring her projects to fruition.”  

Her journey has not come without sacrifice. 

In a society where outspoken women are often marginalized or attacked, Solages is aware of the risks associated with being visible. “The cost of being a feminist in Haiti is high,” she told The Haitian Times in a recent interview. “You can lose your career, family, friends and reputation. But the cost of silence is even higher for the girls who come after us.”

In fact, she endured all that. Now living in New York, she was forced to flee Haiti following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, fearing for her life. Facing multiple death threats, she went into hiding at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, seeking refuge and being separated from her family.  

Her work spans from field projects in rural communities to courtroom advocacy and international speaking engagements. She’s held advisory roles with UN Population Fund ( or “We Are Not Sleeping,” in 2018—a citizens’ collective that emerged from the PetroCaribe Challengers’ anti-corruption protests. But her feminist activism stretches back much further. 

With over a decade of experience in gender and development, Solages has led community initiatives, advised ministers, represented women in national health policy, and shaped discourse at the United Nations Security Council and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

She’s a recognized global voice who bridges worlds, working with Haitian migrants in New York through the  DCS, a Brooklyn-based nonprofit organization providing comprehensive support to low-income residents, immigrants, the chronically ill and youth— while also serving as a consultant for Black Feminist Future, Equality Fund and other international feminist networks.

Last year, she participated in several high-level international forums, symposiums, summits, conferences and panel discussions on women’s rights and social justice, connecting with thousands around the world, notably in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. For instance, she took part in the 2024 Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) forum in Bangkok, where over 2,000 international feminists united to fight against fascism, violence, racism, patriarchy and neocolonialism.

As Solages travels the world to advocate, build bridges and discuss the realities of Haitian women while advancing their rights, her activism and advocacy have earned her numerous awards and accolades globally. She is a multi-award-winning feminist organizer. Her latest awards include trophies in 2022 from the Haitian Women’s Collective in New York and the Frontline in North Carolina. And in 2024, she was also awarded “The Island Icon” from Little Haiti BK and Carib Biz Network in New York and the “2024 NALAFEM Women’s Right to Lead” in Namibia.

“In Haiti, to be considered successful, a woman must often pass through roles that validate her in relation to a man—daughter, fiancé, wife, mother,” she said during a 2024 appearance on the 1804 Renaissance podcast. “I want to be myself, not having my identity tied to a man or seen in a specific way by society. That’s the sense of my fight—so all Haitian women and girls can have choices.”

The post Meet Pascale Solages, a passionate advocate who amplifies Haitian women and girls’ voices globally appeared first on The Haitian Times.