Sexual violence and its perception in the Sine-Saloum regions of Senegal: Contributions to a sociocultural analysis

This socio-anthropological inquiry, conducted in the Sine-Saloum regions of Senegal and aimed at identifying the socio-cultural determinants and contextual factors surrounding the perpetration of sexual violence, reveals that such violence is a culturally taboo subject. The resulting prohibition against speaking out, particularly when perpetrators are family members, generates a form of perceived impunity and contributes to the perpetuation of sexual violence. Some traditional practices, such as “confiage” (informal placement of unmarried girls into other households), makes nevertheless these girls especially vulnerable to sexual assault from male members of the host family. For married women, cultural expectations dictate sexual submission to their husbands, rendering marital rape culturally unthinkable. The victim accounts gathered—mainly from girls aged seven to fifteen—indicate that perpetrators are often close relatives who use their authority to commit sexual abuse. The prevailing cultural norm of not discussing intra-family or intimate matters with outsiders means that relatives often try to hush up the incident, resolve it privately, and protect the family’s honor—following a logic that stands in direct opposition to the principles underpinning the use of support services and legal recourse. The preference for traditional institutions and intra-community conflict resolution is further reflected in the frequent use of informal settlements in cases of sexual violence. Thus, in Sine-Saloum—as in other parts of the world—a local cultural system exists, composed of symbolic logics and institutions, that enforces silence and secrecy around sexual violence within the community. Such a system constitutes a significant barrier to the use of victim support and care services.