Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Women in West Africa
West African women face a formidable array of barriers to their participation in public life
on an equal footing with men. In much of the region, social mores demand that a women is
responsible for domestic work (cooking, pounding millet, child rearing, gathering fire-
wood), while many women also work (often as market or street vendors) to supplement
meagre family incomes. Indeed, it's a depressingly common sight to see women pounding
millet or otherwise working hard while men lounge in the shade 'working' on their social
relationships. Education of girls also lags significantly behind that of boys, as evidenced by
often appalling female literacy rates. Little wonder, therefore, that West African women are
greatly under-represented in most professions, let alone in government or at the upper
levels of industry.
Monique and the Mango Rains: Two Years with a Midwife in Mali,
by Kris Holloway, gives a human face to statistics
about difficulties faced by women in traditional, rural West Africa. It's a great, sobering read.
Marriage & Polygamy
In traditional societies, marriages often took place between teenagers, but financial con-
straints and the growing demand for lavish weddings mean that many men cannot afford to
get married until their late 20s or 30s.
Polygamy is reasonably widespread in West Africa. The practice, which pre-dates the ar-
rival of Islam (the Quran allows up to four wives, provided the husband can provide for
them all), is particularly strong in rural and predominantly Islamic areas; according to one
study, half of all marriages in Senegal are polygamous. You will be told (by men) that wo-
men are not averse to polygamy, and that the wives become like sisters, helping each other
with domestic and child-rearing duties. In reality, however, fighting and mistrust between
wives is more common than marital bliss. However, as few if any countries in the region
have outlawed polygamy, there's not much women can do. Leaving a marriage simply be-
cause a husband takes another wife can bring shame to the woman and her family. She
might be cast out of the family home or even physically beaten as punishment by her own
father or brothers.
Female Genital Mutilation
Female genital mutilation (FGM), often euphemistically termed 'female circumcision' or
'genital alteration', is widespread throughout West Africa. The term covers a wide range of
