In Dakar, Sénégal, a determined group of feminist activists took to the streets this Sunday afternoon to vociferously protest against the rising tide of femicides across the nation. Though numbering around twenty, their demonstration made a significant impact, echoing calls for immediate government intervention to curb gender-based violence.

Chanting powerful slogans such as «Silence, ça suffit» (Silence, enough is enough) and «La mort ne vous appartient pas !» (Death does not belong to you!), prominent activist Aminata Libain Mbengue and her fellow demonstrators directly challenged the Senegalese government to uphold its responsibilities.

«Even the President of the Republic, in his December 31st address, explicitly stated his intention to implement measures to halt femicides. Yet, we are still waiting,» Mbengue declared. She pressed further, asking, «How many more women, how many more girls must perish before the State of Sénégal truly assumes its duties?»

Demanding decisive government response

As the spokesperson for the demonstrators, the feminist militant criticized the authorities’ silence on a crisis that is often trivialized and dismissed as mere news in the press. «We cannot have a two-year-old baby raped and murdered by three men without a single statement from the Ministry of Family and Solidarity,» Aminata Libain Mbengue asserted. «This is an outrage! It is imperative that whenever a woman or girl is killed, the government takes strong, visible action. We remind them that it is their fundamental duty to protect the women and girls of this country. Femicide must be formally recognized within the penal code. The lives of women cannot wait any longer.»

After a few impactful minutes, the demonstration concluded with a clear pledge from the feminists: they vowed to organize a protest following every femicide until the Senegalese state finally delivers a meaningful response to this critical issue.