''Yewwu-Yewwi'' is a Senegalese feminist organization, "the first feminist movement in

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...

Liberal feminist Liberal feminism, also called mainstream feminism, is a main branch of feminism defined by its focus on achieving gender equality through political and legal reform within the framework of liberal democracy. It is often considered culturally ...

in orientation, the group is led by educated Muslim Senegalese women. The name Yewwu-Yewwi is taken from a Wolof phrase meaning "raise consciousness for liberation".

History

''Yewwu-Yewwi'' was founded at a meeting on January 7, 1984 at the Chamber of Commerce in

Dakar Dakar ( ; ; wo, Ndakaaru) (from :wo:daqaar, daqaar ''tamarind''), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Senegal, largest city of Senegal. The city of Dakar proper has a population of 1,030,594, whereas the population of the Dakar ...

. Many members of ''Yewwu-Yewwi'' had been members of And-Jëf. Founders included

Marie-Angélique Savané Marie-Angélique Savané (née Sagna, born 2 November 1947) is a Senegalese sociologist and feminist activist, who has been "an extremely vocal proponent of legal and social reforms in Senegalese society on behalf of women", according to the ''Dict ...

, who played an important role in the organization's leadership. Activities of ''Yewwu-Yewwi'' have included awareness-raising, mobilization, lobbying, publishing and fund-raising. It collaborated with other African women's associations. It awarded a public prize, the

Aline Sitoe Diatta Aline Sitoe Diatta (also Aline Sitow Diatta or Alyn Sytoe Jata; 1920 – 22 May 1944) was a Senegalese heroine of the opposition to the French colonial empire, and a strong young female symbol of resistance and liberty. A Jola leader of a local r ...

prize, to the president of Burkina Faso,

Thomas Sankara Thomas Isidore Noël Sankara (; 21 December 1949 – 15 October 1987) was a Burkinabé military officer, Marxist–Leninist revolutionary, and Pan-Africanist, who served as President of Burkina Faso from his coup in 1983 to his deposition a ...

, as a means of pressuring the Senegalese executive to prioritize attention to the status of women. Though never a popular organization with a broad base, ''Yewwu-Yewwi'' succeeded in influencing family law code reform in the late 1980s. Its emphasis on

gender equality Gender equality, also known as sexual equality or equality of the sexes, is the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making; and the state of valuing d ...

violence against women Violence against women (VAW), also known as gender-based violence and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), are violent acts primarily or exclusively committed against women or girls, usually by men or boys. Such violence is often con ...

and

female circumcision Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female genital cutting, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and female circumcision, is the ritual cutting or removal of some or all of the external female genitalia. The practice is found ...

helped set an agenda for later women's organizations in Senegal.

References

{{Reflist Women's organisations based in Senegal Feminist organizations in Africa Organizations established in 1984