Pascale Solages is the co-founder and General Coordinator of Nègès Mawon, a feminist organization in Haiti founded in 2015. Since then, the organization provides access to health services and care for survivors of gender-based and sexual violence, and promotes feminist activism through art, education for girls, and advocacy.
Haiti is currently experiencing an unprecedented social, political, and humanitarian crisis. Violence escalated in 2021 following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, after which criminal groups seized control in Port-au-Prince, the country’s capital. Since then, several efforts have been made to restore peace in the country, but they have not been as successful as hoped.
This interview is part of a series of blogs highlighting the extraordinary work of Haitian activists and organizations who are making a difference, especially in the lives of communities affected by violence in Haiti.
Pascale, what motivated you to get involved in this work?
I have been a member of feminist organizations since 2008; I was 19 years old at the time. I began engaging with feminist groups such as Foundation Toya. In 2015, I decided to create my own organization because I wanted to do things differently. I wanted to create a feminist festival, it was the first time a feminist organization in Haiti was using art in this way. I also wanted to build a structure to support this vision.
My feminist engagement is also a response to my own experiences. I witnessed gender-based violence in my family from a young age. I grew up with images of my father beating my mother. I was also a victim of sexual violence when I was eight years old. I did not understand what was happening to me, and it was an extremely lonely journey. I had no one to talk to and no one to explain what was happening.
It took me years to find people who helped me understand and heal from that trauma. I wanted to create the space I needed as a young girl, for other women and girls who were also survivors of sexual violence. So, the mix of my own experience as a Haitian girl and woman, with the beautiful work I did with other feminists across the country, and all the women I learned from throughout this journey, inspired me to create Nègès Mawon.
How has the current crisis affected women and girls in Haiti?
Haiti is facing a political, economic, social, and security crisis. In the first half of 2025 alone, more than 1,000 people were killed and over 1.2 million displaced. My own family has been displaced, as have many members of our staff.
Gangs controlling territories are using sexual violence as a weapon of control. Women and girls have reduced access to education, healthcare, leadership spaces, and even safe public spaces. Their right to dream of a future where they can be free and safe is under attack.
Women and girls are the first victims of this crisis. They all need and deserve security as citizens. Civil society and feminist organizations do not have sufficient resources to meet the scale of need. We do not have enough time, funding, personnel, or energy to support everyone who deserves help.
How has the organization’s mission evolved over time, especially considering the recent crisis in Haiti?
We chose the name, Nègès Mawon, that reflects our vision as Black women and Haitian women, and that carries deep meaning connected to our national history. Haiti is the first Black Republic and it is a country founded on the principles of freedom and humanity for everyone.
Nègès Mawon symbolizes resistance. It reminds us of enslaved people who fled the colonies, fought oppression, and claimed their freedom while also helping others to be free. Thousands of women fought for this nation, even if their names do not appear in history books. We are fighting against that invisibility, against colonial legacies, and against ongoing foreign control.
Today, we fight for everything that challenges Haitian women: freedom, humanity, and well-being. We draw inspiration from Black feminism and African feminist movements to restore our dignity and defend our lives.
What kind of support do you provide to girls and women?
Much of our work focuses on supporting survivors of sexual violence. We have a network of nurses, midwives, and doctors who provide medical care; lawyers who provide legal support; therapists who offer psychological services; and we provide economic assistance to survivors of all forms of violence, especially sexual violence. Our safe house offers women and girls a secure place to stay, heal, rebuild their lives, and access opportunities that promote economic autonomy.
We also support girls who cannot attend school by covering school-related expenses and offering workshops and sexual education programs. Additionally, through our abortion legalization program, we help women access safe and legal abortion services. This is critical, as unsafe abortion is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality in Haiti, particularly among girls who become pregnant after rape.
What are the most urgent challenges you are facing?
Security is our biggest challenge. We have relocated our office three times due to threats, extortion, and harassment. Some staff members, including myself, have had to leave the country temporarily for safety reasons. We have developed comprehensive security protocols for our spaces, transportation and activities so that we can create a safe space for girls, women and for our team.
Providing legal services makes us a target and makes our work very dangerous. Gangs believe we are collaborating with law enforcement. The government’s lack of accountability exacerbates the risks.
What do you wish more people around the world understood about Haitian organizations?
We are working and fighting every single day to survive, to remain free, and to help others be free. Haitian women are victims of what is happening in the country, but we are also agents of change, building the community and the country we want to see.
There is a narrative that Haitians cannot govern themselves, cannot build their country, cannot contribute to global conversations. We want to change that narrative. Haitian women are both Haitian citizens and global citizens. We have the right to occupy spaces where decisions are made about our future.
Haiti is not only violence, corruption, and bad governance. It is beautiful people and a wonderful country that has, for centuries, contributed to other nations’ freedom. Women were part of that history, do not forget that. We will continue to speak and fight, even when it is difficult. We are leaders contributing to the global struggle for women’s rights, resisting fascism, sexism, and racism everywhere.
Could you share a story that keeps you going?
We have been supporting a woman, who is now part of our programme. A few months ago, she was living alone in a displacement camp where she was raped and became pregnant. She experienced severe complications and came to our office because she had nowhere else to go.
Our staff accompanied her to the hospital. She had preeclampsia and needed emergency care. Staff stayed with her for two nights because she had no family support. Finally, she gave birth to a beautiful girl and she’s safe now.
We covered all medical expenses, and she is staying in our safe house. That woman with her baby, their life, their future, reminds us why we continue. Even if we help one woman, one girl at a time, it matters and it is worthy.
What message would you give to the Haitian government?
Do your job. Millions of people, women and girls are suffering. Thousands are dying. People are losing hope, their strength to fight, the bright future for girls and boys in this country.
We are doing our part as civil society, but we cannot replace the state. The government has resources and authority. it must act with accountability and responsibility.
We ask our partners and the international community to continue providing financial support, but also to stand with us in advocacy and education efforts.
Give space for local organizations to speak for themselves, to advocate for their communities, and to represent the people they serve. Our voices matter. Respect our sovereignty, our expertise, and our right to speak for ourselves. Listen to the people. Listen to local organizations and activists.
As a Haitian feminist, it is deeply important to me that the world keeps its attention on Haiti. We know there are crises everywhere. We have sisters suffering in Palestine, Afghanistan, Sudan, Congo, and beyond. We stand in solidarity with them. But we also ask: do not forget Haiti. Include Haitian women when decisions are made about funding and policies. The crisis is happening now, and we need support now.
Which are your hopes for the future?
For Haitian women and girls, I hope for something simple: the right to exist.
The right to live without wondering whether they will survive the next 24 hours.
The right to experience safety, joy, dignity, and that they can recognize their value as human beings.
I hope one day we will live in a country where we do not have to fight for our lives every second.
