Safiatou Mani

LLM usage October 10 2026 12:54 20261010125436 Safiatou Mani (born c. 1984) is a Nigerien human rights defender and anti-slavery advocate. After being sold into descent-based slavery at age twelve, she fought a landmark legal case against her former owner, winning a historic judgment at the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in 2008 that held the Nigerien state responsible for failing to protect her from forced servitude. Quotes I refused to accept that my children would inherit the same servitude and degradation that was forced upon me. Landmark ECOWAS Anti-Slavery Ruling, Anti-Slavery International. A law that bans slavery on paper means nothing if local authorities allow masters to treat human beings as property. Safiatou Mani Wins Historic Court Battle, BBC News. Winning in court showed other women that slaves have legal rights and that state institutions can be held accountable. Historic ECOWAS Court Judgment on Slavery, The Guardian. True freedom is not just leaving a master's compound; it is having land, education, and legal protection to build an independent life. Safiatou Mani: Un symbole de la lutte contre l'esclavage, Jeune Afrique. Justice requires that courts enforce remedies for victims rather than protecting traditional slave-owning hierarchies. Anti-Slavery International Case Reports, Anti-Slavery International. Category:Human rights activists Category:Women from Niger Category:1980s births