In Dakar, a powerful demonstration, though modest in size with approximately twenty women, made a significant impact this Sunday afternoon. Feminist activists vocally asserted their demand to end femicides, echoing potent slogans such as « Le silence, ça suffit » (Silence, enough!) and « La mort ne vous appartient pas ! » (Death does not belong to you!). Leading the charge, Aminata Libain Mbengue and her fellow advocates directly challenged the Senegalese government.

« Even the President, in his December 31st address, explicitly pledged to implement measures to curb femicides. Yet, we are still waiting, » stated one demonstrator. « We question how many more women and girls must perish before the Senegalese state finally assumes its responsibilities. »

A call for government accountability

The feminist spokesperson, representing the protestors, condemned the authorities’ silence regarding an issue often trivialized and relegated to mere news items. « It is an outrage when a two-year-old child is raped and murdered by three men, and there is no official statement from the Ministry of Family and Solidarity, » emphasized Aminata Libain Mbengue. « We demand decisive action from the government every time a woman or girl is killed. It is their fundamental duty to safeguard the women and girls of this nation. Femicide must be formally recognized within the penal code. The lives of women cannot afford to wait any longer. »

After a brief but impactful demonstration, the activists dispersed, leaving with a clear mandate: to organize a protest following every subsequent murder of a woman until the state finally delivers a meaningful response.