Sabrina Prioli began her career in academia as a sociologist researcher, which led her to diverse locations beyond Italy, including the Latin American barriadas, the hidden malocas of the Amazon rainforest, the yellowed rancherìas of the La Guajira desert in Colombia, and the low enkang of East Africa. Throughout her career, she has played a pivotal role in developing PM&E plans for various self-implementing and partner projects while working for NGOs and governments across Latin America, Africa, and Europe.
In Colombia, Sabrina founded “Hilo Sagrado,” an organization dedicated to preserving the culture and traditions of the indigenous people of Guajira, with a focus on strengthening the identity and social role of women. She possesses extensive experience and knowledge in areas such as protection, education, economic empowerment, and gender equality, which enable her to create appropriate indicators and PM&E tools. Sabrina takes great pleasure in training field staff on utilizing PM&E tools to gather evidence that supports social change and promotes greater transparency and accountability.
In 2016, during a mission in Juba, South Sudan, she was among the victims of the “Terrain incident,” where she suffered multiple rapes and torture by government soldiers during a sudden outbreak of civil conflict. Following this traumatic experience, Sabrina faced significant challenges, including a lack of medical and psychosocial support, financial resources for healing, and legal assistance for justice. Struggling with the effects of PTSD, she found healing through EMDR therapy and coaching, which inspired her to become a professional coach herself.
Sabrina’s approach, grounded in Co-Active and Positive Intelligence methodologies, empowers her clients—especially victims and survivors of sexual violence—to build strengths, foster healthy beliefs, and develop positive coping strategies, rather than merely addressing “negative” behaviors and beliefs. Her personal and professional experiences, along with her deep empathy for issues related to sexual violence and abuse, fuel her commitment to enhancing prevention measures, policies, procedures, and responses within NGOs and organizations dealing with incidents of sexual violence.
In 2020, Sabrina published her first book, “Il viaggio della fenice,” with the English version titled “Rise up phoenix.” In 2024, she released her second book, “Non finisce mai,” which addresses the theme of permanent victimization after rape. For her dedicated advocacy on behalf of women victims of violence and abuse, she has received several accolades in Italy, including the “Woman Award 2021,” the “Solidarity Award National Award 2022,” and the “Country of Women Award 2022.