SDG Blog 8

Senegal is considered to be one of the most stable African Democracies with high economic growth even with their high number of unemployment and fertility rates. They also struggle due to over population, high levels of poverty and low levels of social protection which leaves no room for gender equality. Gender inequality is an issue that is being addressed by the Senegalese government through laws and many other actions and commitments. Unlike otherAfrican countries that I have blogged about, Senegal is making huge strides in reaching the gender equality SDG. 

How is The Government prioritizing this issue?

We know Senegal is taking this issue seriously because of the National Strategy for Gender Equality and Equity that has been developed to "make Senegal an emerging country in 2035 with a society of solidarity in a state of law.. where men and women will have the same opportunities" (UN Women, p. 6). They aim to "eliminate inequalities between women and men... ensure women's rights and protection, by ensuring their full participation in decision making processes and equitable access to development resources and benefits" (UN Women, p. 7).  Other strides include programs like CREATE which aims to help women generate an income, gain literacy skills and use their skills to manage their profits. 

Senegal also developed the Parity Law in 2010 which demanded equality on electoral lists which increased the number of seats held by women in parliament to 43%. This is still not an ideal number because men over power the women which is not a reflection of their population which consists of 52% Women. This law was a great opportunity for women who can now create women-friendly laws and gender quotas. Even with these improvement we still see how making laws that are not being enforced does nothing in the end. Although child marriage is prohibited we still see it widespread and although theres a code that grants women and men equal access to land traditional customer still prevent women from equal ownership.  With women in parliament we can hope to see laws enforce to ensure the protection of women and girls. 

How Does Climate Change affect Women in Senegal? 

The extreme imbalance in weather conditions affects food security, livelihoods and job opportunities for rural women who make up 70% of the agricultural workforces in Senegal. Because their income is dependent on rain it makes them vulnerable to extreme poverty due to the limited access to food and water. Although it is hard Senegalese women are adapting by working hard and adopting new practices to make the most of the lack of rainfall. These practices are proving to be ineffective and making it harder to adapt to the soil and land degradation. Senegalese women also lack access to modern technology used in agriculture which could potentially make labor conditions better. 

I am Interested to see how far Senegal would have come by 1035 because they seem to be going down the right path as far as gender equality. If they continue to enforce laws and make new one that ill help women they should be able to reach SDG Goal 5. 

Works Cited

Equal Measures. (n.d.). Retrieved November 17, 2020, from https://data.em2030.org/countries/senegal/

Flag of Senegal. (2020, October 31). Retrieved November 17, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Senegal

Gender parity in Senegal – A continuing struggle. (n.d.). Retrieved November 17, 2020, from https://www.cmi.no/publications/6230-gender-parity-in-senegal-a-continuing-struggle

Income Generation Programs: What We Do: CREATE! (2017, October 27). Retrieved November 17, 2020, from https://www.createaction.org/income-generation/

Senegal. (n.d.). Retrieved November 17, 2020, from https://africa.unwomen.org/en/where-we-are/west-and-central-africa/senegal

Service, W. (2016, July 19). #DidYouKnow? With 42% representation, #Senegal ranks 6th in the world for women in Parliament #ParityDakar #50x50 pic.twitter.com/z52cOIu4Ta. Retrieved November 17, 2020, from https://twitter.com/wpsproject/status/755463268349648896

Women and Climate Change in Senegal. (2019, August 04). Retrieved November 17, 2020, from https://www.borgenmagazine.com/women-and-climate-change-in-senegal-jennifer-philipp-tbs/