Dakar March Highlights Urgent Need to Protect Women in Senegal’s Mining Sector
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Amidst the annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, hundreds took to the streets of Dakar on Saturday, November 22, 2025, demanding increased protections for women and girls facing abuse, especially within Senegal’s gold mining industry. The demonstration, organized in response to a call from the Network of Committed Women of Kédougou, underscores a growing movement to address systemic inequalities and escalating violence.
Rising Concerns Over Violence in Kédougou
The march focused specifically on the plight of women working in the Kédougou region, where organizers say a confluence of poverty, exploitation, and multiple forms of violence create a risky habitat. Despite the existence of a mining code intended to guarantee equal opportunities,women remain severely marginalized within the sector. Currently, they comprise only 8.4% of the workforce in mining companies and have virtually no access to mining titles.
“In Kédougou, our cries are not heard,” stated a representative from the Network of Committed Women of Kédougou. “Women who work in gold panning die slowly, fall into wells, are raped or economically exploited.” This stark assessment highlights the desperate need for intervention and systemic change.
Expanding Definition of Gender-Based Violence
This year’s activism also brought renewed attention to the increasing prevalence of digital violence, a particularly concerning trend affecting young girls. Organizers emphasized that abuse is no longer confined to physical or psychological realms, but extends to online harassment and exploitation. “Women are abused physically, morally, psychologically and now also online,” a marcher explained.”We are here to say stop to all these forms of violence.”
advocacy Efforts and Economic Empowerment
The citizen’s march is part of a larger advocacy campaign focused on promoting Article 115 of the Mining Code, advocating for women’s rights, disseminating information about protection measures, and mobilizing citizens. A key tenet of the movement is the belief that combating gender-based violence must be intrinsically linked to the economic empowerment of women.
Dr. Amani Amour Chance, president of the African Network of Women Entrepreneurs and Investors (Rafei), who was present at the march, emphasized the continental scope of this commitment. She argued that lasting solutions require not only protection from violence but also opportunities for economic independence and advancement.
The demonstration in Dakar serves as a powerful reminder of the ongoing struggle for gender equality and the urgent need for complete action to protect vulnerable women and girls in Senegal and beyond.
Why did the march happen? Hundreds marched in Dakar on November 22, 2025, to protest the escalating gender-based violence faced by women and girls, particularly those working in Senegal’s gold mining industry in the Kédougou region. The Network of Committed Women of Kédougou organized the demonstration in response to systemic inequalities and a lack of protection for women in the sector.
Who was involved? The march was led by the Network of Committed Women of Kédougou and drew hundreds of participants. Dr. Amani Amour Chance, president of the African Network of Women Entrepreneurs and Investors (Rafei), also participated, highlighting the continental scope of the issue. Women working in the Kédougou mining region were central to the concerns raised.
What were the key demands? Protesters demanded increased protections for women in the mining sector, focusing on the implementation of Article 115 of Senegal’s Mining Code to guarantee equal opportunities.They also called for recognition and action against digital violence, alongside addressing
