Senegal NAP Overview

Senegal launched its first National Action Plan (NAP) in 2011, covering the period of 2011 – 2015. This NAP has been developed through a participatory process that involved the Ministry of Gender and Relations with African and Foreign Women’s Associations, Ministry of Family, Women’s Organisations and Youth, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health and Prevention, Ministry of Education Parliament, local groups, universities and civil society research centres. The Steering Committee, composed of government ministries, intergovernmental agencies and civil society organisations, coordinates and monitors the Senegalese NAP implementation, and is intended to ensure that the National Action Plan is aligned with the Constitution of Senegal and all other existing laws and policies. Senegal’s NAP is elaborate and specific, including all actors in a chapter on stakeholder mapping, with clear sets of indicators and action plans. Slightly less specific on the drafting process it still mentions inclusion of civil society actors in the drafting process. The implementation process is well laid out, with a matrix specifying the parties involved in coordination, the priority areas concerned and the finances needed to realize these activities. Likewise, specified indicators are subject to a clear task division for monitoring and evaluation, which encompasses all branches of government concerned as well as a multiplicity of civil society actors (Miller, Pournik, & Swaine, 2014).

Nationally, Senegal has a solid legal framework and a set of structures to ensure the safety of people and protection of their property. Senegal is one of the few countries in West Africa to have never experienced a military coup; however, several population uprisings took place in the South of the country, leading to the exacerbation of violence in the region. Moreover, discrimination is widespread in Senegal as anti-discrimination laws and laws prohibiting violence against women are generally not enforced. Women face pervasive discrimination, especially in rural areas, due to traditional customs, including polygyny and discriminatory rules of inheritance. Forced marriage remains a significant problem in some parts of Senegal.

In its national review for Beijing+25, Senegal reported that a new NAP is being developed and that the process is underway (pg. 14). Its implementation will be done in collaboration with civil society actors, in particular women who are involved in the Casamance peace process (pg. 45). Senegal reported on this peace process in its report as well (pg 63).

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