Thesis Defense by Rokaya Diagne

Ms. Rokhaya DIAGNE will publicly defend her dissertation titled*
: The 2010–2022 Gender Parity Law: A Study of Women’s Political Participation in Representative Institutions in Senegal*, supervised by Mr. Eric Savarese and Ms. Mame Penda BA, in collaboration with the *Université Gaston Berger de Saint-Louis ” (SENEGAL) on Friday, April 12, 2024, at 2:00 p.m., in the Justicia Room.

The jury consists of:

Ms. Christine PINA – Côte d’Azur University – Rapporteur

Mr. Abdou Rahmane THIAM – Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar –
Rapporteur

Ms. Fatoumata HANE – Assane Seck University of Ziguinchor – Examiner

Ms. Mame Penda BA – Gaston Berger University – Thesis Co-Advisor

Mr. Eric SAVARESE – University of Montpellier – Thesis advisor

Keywords: gender parity, political engagement, women’s political participation, Senegal

Summary:

On May 28, 2010, Senegal enacted Law No. 2010-11 of May 28, 2010, establishing absolute gender parity in bodies that are wholly or partially elected. The new law, which represents a major step forward in the fight against the political underrepresentation of women, aims to rebalance the male-dominated political sphere and promote the development of gender-sensitive policies. However, despite the existence of the law, which mandates alternating genders on candidate lists, men continue to dominate political life. This thesis seeks to examine the explanatory factors behind male control of Senegal’s political sphere, as well as the responses women offer to this situation. It also explores the extent to which these responses address the primary needs of Senegalese women. This latter consideration was one of the major arguments put forward by advocates of gender parity during the campaign for the law’s adoption. In doing so, we demonstrate that male dominance in political life dates back to the colonial period and was consolidated during the early years of Senegal’s independence. Furthermore, women, who have always supported men in politics, were granted citizenship late in the colonial era, allowing them to participate officially in political life. Nevertheless, every time they attempt to carve out a place for themselves in the public sphere, they have been constrained by men who limit their actions to electoral mobilization for their own benefit. Seizing the international context and the willingness of the head of state, Abdoulaye Wade, to improve their political representation, women secured the parity law, which establishes gender equality in elected offices. Similarly, the thesis examines the content of the law, its sources, as well as the various forms of opposition and obstacles that affect its effectiveness. It also examines the resistance mounted by men, which allows them to circumvent parity and dominate the decision-making bodies of representative institutions. Finally, through interviews conducted with elected women from the National Assembly, the HCCT, the Mbacké Departmental Council, and the Saint-Louis Municipal Council, the research examines the strategies and resources women have developed to establish their legitimacy in politics and attempt to escape male control. It also examines the identity and political trajectories of elected women and demonstrates that the organization and functioning of institutions, as well as these women’s political dependence on political leaders—particularly at the local level—pose significant obstacles to the meaningful representation of women in representative institutions in Senegal.