Towards a better education?
Since the majority of Senegal's population is under the age of twenty, education remains a priority for the political authorities. Although some progress has been made in education over the past twenty years, the country is still far from training enough managers and senior technicians to increase productivity. Illiteracy is still too high, affecting nearly half of the Senegalese population. But this rate of 54.6% conceals many disparities, depending on age, gender and place of residence. Women are the most affected by this scourge, as they drop out of school to help their families in the fields or get married. However, as mores evolve and the education system improves, this rate will tend to decrease in the coming decades. Senegal has already made remarkable progress in Africa in terms of elementary school enrollment, which rose from 54 percent in 1994 to over 82 percent in 2005. Certainly, the 2004 law making schooling compulsory and free for all children aged 6 to 16 is the main reason for this, and shows the State's willingness to provide education for all. However, beyond the figures, there is also a distressing reality: schools far from the villages, crowded classes, insufficient material and sometimes mediocre teachers. Many students drop out of school because of family obligations, and only 43.7% of them go on to secondary school. However, there is a real Senegalese elite, particularly in Dakar. Created in 1957, Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, which houses various faculties, has seen many Senegalese and foreign executives graduate from its benches. Long considered one of the best in French-speaking Africa, it is experiencing a decline in the quality of teaching due to an overflow of students, more and more numerous each year. The Gaston Berger University in Saint-Louis and the Assane Seck University in Ziguinchor, which opened in 1990 and 2007 respectively, are also two gateways to education for the population farthest from the capital. There are also numerous higher education programs in renowned private institutions, which are more expensive and rarely accessible to all.
Polygamy or monogamy, to each spouse his choice
Senegal, a country with a Muslim majority, has recognized polygamy in its Family Law Code since 1972, which is none other than polygyny, since only men can contract several wives. At the time of his first marriage, whether Muslim or Christian, the husband must make the irrevocable choice of monogamy or polygamy. If he chooses monogamy, he must divorce his wife before taking another. On the other hand, if he marries in polygamy, he can marry up to four women. Although the practice is declining in urban areas, it remains a strong tradition in rural areas. It is estimated that nearly 35% of Senegalese households are polygamous. The man, who is the head of the household, is expected to provide for the needs of his wives and children and to treat them equally. However, whether they live in the same compound or each in her own house, there are many rivalries and jealousies between co-wives. A wife's obsession is to keep her husband's interest as much as possible, to avoid his going elsewhere and, above all, not to share his privileges with other wives. Although young urban women disapprove of this practice, polygamy is attracting more and more intellectual women who see in the role of second wife a form of freedom and independence. They are executives, journalists, computer scientists, among other professions, and appreciate this time for themselves, when their husband visits his first wife. Sometimes, these young intellectuals, single due to the length of their studies, give in to the social pressure of the family and allow themselves to be taken as the second or third wife of a man often much older than themselves. Beyond religion, polygamy is above all a tradition that persists in Senegalese society.
The family, the core of Senegalese society
In this developing country, with high unemployment and low wages, the family holds a primordial place in society. It is indeed thanks to mutual aid and family support that the members can provide for themselves. In the countryside, the family is welded together within a more or less narrow concession, where the grown-up children provide for the needs of parents who are too old to work. If one of the members has migrated to Europe or elsewhere, he or she will have to send a portion of his or her salary each month to help the family. It is estimated that each Senegalese from the diaspora sends about 1,000 € per year to his family. In Senegal, as in much of Africa, there is a real respect for elders. In this country with oral traditions, the elderly are considered as wise men, guardians of the ancestral knowledge transmitted by their parents and grandparents. Here, there are no old people's homes, the elders are integrated with the rest of the family and pampered. They are regularly consulted for their wisdom, knowledge and advice. For example, when a conflict arises in the village, if no solution is found between the people involved, the Council of Elders meets to find an arrangement through dialogue, thus fulfilling their role as intermediaries. Although the population is tending to urbanize, it is still uncommon to live alone in Senegal, even though this phenomenon is becoming more and more common in Dakar. However, for work or studies, the Senegalese will often find a cousin, an uncle, an aunt or a close friend to host him. Solidarity and hospitality are the key words of Senegalese society, aren't they?
From marabout to griot, a hierarchical society
As within the family, Senegalese society is both complex and hierarchical. Without going into detail, we can estimate that the two ends of this scale are represented by the marabouts at the top and the griots at the bottom. A good marabout is worthy of esteem, one consults him for a yes or a no, whether it be religious, medical or mystical. Thus, in any animist ethnic group, the witch doctor marabout is the one to whom one goes in case of bewitchment by evil spirits or by a person wishing to take revenge, or conversely to bewitch someone. Depending on the brotherhood, one may go to a spiritual marabout for religious or even political advice. These guides also play an important economic and political role in Senegalese society, as they are empowered to decide what is true and what is false, what is just and what is unjust, for a court of followers who give them absolute obedience. Enjoying real power over the population, they were used as administrators by the colonists during the development of the peanut industry, thus acquiring a considerable role in this economy. Today, they are involved in politics where they do not hesitate to give voting instructions, for example. At the bottom of the social ladder, the griots. They are the word of Africa, its history and its library. Through their tales and music, they transmit customs and traditions, and sing the praises of Senegalese lineages. Only these important storytellers, invited at the time to the royal courts for the greatest, these "rewriters" of history on command were both feared and despised. It was said in Senegal that a buried griot lowered the yield of the land where the ceremony took place. They were therefore laid to rest standing in the trunks of the baobab trees, dressed in their best clothes, but without any ceremony. This practice was prohibited by Léopold Sédar Senghor in 1962.
Two prohibited practices
Sexual mutilation of cultural origin, excision has been prohibited in Senegal since 1999 and can be punished by imprisonment. However, nearly one third of Senegalese women are cut and this phenomenon persists in the deepest regions of the country where customs are well established, particularly among the Fulani and Toucouleurs. In the regions of Matam, Sédhiou and Kédougou, among others, nearly 90% of Senegalese women are affected by this practice, which is performed by older women on younger ones. Like a custom, they perpetuate this practice from generation to generation, which is still taboo in society. However, many women are campaigning against FGC by organizing prevention and awareness campaigns in the most remote villages in order to change mentalities. Homosexuality, also prohibited by law, is strongly denigrated in Senegalese culture as an unnatural act. It is punishable by imprisonment for one to five years and a fine of up to 1,500,000 FCFA. This makes it difficult for Senegalese to live their homosexuality to the fullest in their country, where they are obliged to hide to avoid state sanctions and homophobic violence.
Prostitution and sex tourism, a sad reality
From the beaches of the Petite Côte to the bars of Dakar, prostitution and sex tourism are major scourges in this country where many families live in poverty. The locals remain the main clients, but in recent years, with the increase of tourists in the territory, sex tourism has experienced a real boom, making Senegal a leading destination for this kind of practice. It is therefore not uncommon to come across a white man with a young Senegalese girl in Saly, Mbour or even elsewhere. Or conversely, a Western woman of a certain age with a virile Senegalese man. In this strange relationship where money has its power and where feelings are sometimes born, illusion can sometimes be the worst betrayal. Some Europeans are tempted by marriage, and realize, far too late, the pretence of the relationship. Some end up being co-wives without knowing it, others are a gateway to Europe, and still others are taken advantage of for money throughout the relationship. Some divorces can be difficult to recover one's assets. Of course, one should not stigmatize all mixed couples, because many are also based on the sincerity of a love relationship.
