In Senegal, more than 1 300 cases of violence were registered in 2024 in the “Boutiques de droit”, these spaces for free legal assistance set up by the Association des juristes sénégalaises (AJS). According to the organization, half of these cases concern sexual and physical violence, an alarming trend that reflects the extent of violations of women’s rights in the country. “The statistics of the Boutiques de droit are sufficient evidence of the problem of violence in our society, which undermines the daily life of women and constitutes a brake on development”, warns the AJS in a communiqué published on the occasion of the International Day of the African Woman, celebrated every 31 July. These forms of violence are diverse: female genital mutilation, early or forced marriages, economic, psychological and sexual violence. At the AJS, it is considered that “a clear political will is needed to combat effectively violence against women and girls”. The Association also calls for respect for the African Union Convention on Violence against Women, adopted this year, in order to “prevent, eliminate and respond to all forms of violence suffered on the continent”. This International Day of the African Woman (JIFA), whose theme for 2024 is “For all women and girls: rights, equality and empowerment”, was initiated by Aoua Keïta, a Malian activist and pioneer of women’s emancipation. It was officially established on 31 July 1974 in Dakar, during the first congress of the Pan African Women’s Organization.
Violence against women: more than 1300 cases registered in 2024
