Published on : 21/08/2022 – 09:00
In Senegal, the first feminist festival Jotaay Ji, organized by the Jama collective, is held until August 21 on the Place du Souvenir in Dakar, at the Henriette-Bathily Women’s Museum. On the program, consent, sexual health, gynecological and conjugal violence or abortion, so many themes aimed at getting women and feminist activists to talk regarding their realities and their experiences in a space of well-being. At the end of the day, a group was introduced to yoga and self-defense.
With our correspondent in Dakar, Thea Olivier
As night fell, a dozen women were lined up two by two to try out different self-defense techniques. Coach Khadija Bocoum showed them how to put down an attacker who grabs your hand or threatens you with a knife:
« It’s defending yourself using very simple techniques that don’t require force. It’s to help them and to give them self-confidence, because it’s women who are the most attacked, raped ».
« The woman is nowhere safe »
Eva Rassoul, one of the participants, felt stronger now that she was introduced to these methods: « The woman is not safe anywhere, even in the house. That is to say that your brother, your husband, your cousin can attack you in the house. Outside, strangers can attack you and that we have techniques like that, it makes me feel a little more reassured ».
street harassment, attacksinsecurity in the public space, it is to raise awareness once morest these phenomena that Laïty Ndiaye, founding member of Jama, found it essential to organize a self-defense workshop: “ It is also helping to realize a certain power. We remind you that our safety should not be so much our responsibility. But hey, we do it because we still have to protect ourselves while waiting for things to change for good. »
Prevention with men
Better responsiveness of the police and doing prevention with men: so many avenues mentioned by Laïty Ndiaye to change society.
► Also to listen and watch: Senegal: How is feminism doing?
