A four-day national workshop for the departmental presidents of the "Bajenu Gox" of Senegal opened this Monday, May 4, in Dakar.

Led by Jgen Senegal, this strategic meeting, which saw the participation of 46 women, aims to strengthen their capacities in the prevention and management of violence against women and children.

The meeting emphasized key approaches such as human rights, survivor-centered care, and the principle of "do no harm".

It is also about consolidating the participants' knowledge of national procedures related to Gender-Based Violence (GBV), to offer them a space to exchange on their field experiences, the challenges encountered and the needs expressed in the exercise of their community mission.

For Maïmouna Yade, executive director of Jgen Senegal, this workshop addresses an urgent need. "The Bajenu Gox are key actors at the community level on issues of gender-based violence, which are multifaceted," she emphasized.

"The role of the 'Bajenu Gox' remains insufficiently valued."

 

Better still, she believes it constitutes an important lever for driving national advocacy for better recognition of the status of the "Bajenu Gox". "It is about reflecting with the State, partners and communities on how to strengthen their position at the local level, but also their institutional partnership," she explains.

Maïmouna Yade indicated that despite the existence of tools, including a guide developed in 2023, shortcomings persist, particularly in the chain of care for cases of violence, thus calling for a strengthening of existing mechanisms and the introduction of new tools adapted to local realities.

According to her, expectations are high, particularly regarding the involvement and support of state services. "Since its implementation in 2010, the 'Bajenu Gox' program has largely contributed to improving maternal and child health, but their role remains insufficiently valued," she noted.

She also stressed the need to review the status of the Bajenu Gox. "The work of the 'Bajenu Gox' is extremely domesticated, less valued in some cases, and practically unpaid. It is work that takes a heavy toll psychologically, financially, and in terms of safety," she lamented.

According to the executive director of Jgen Senegal, the State must take support measures to ensure that the Bajenu Gox receive better care, safety, empowerment, and resources. "They take care of the communities, but who takes care of them?" she asked.

  The strategic guidance document is currently being finalized.

 

Sagar Gassama Ndiaye, the program's focal point at the Directorate of Maternal and Child Health (DSME), noted that gender-based violence (GBV) is already integrated into the trainer's guide, the Bajenu Gox manual, and the image box. "A module on GBV has been integrated into the training tools, including the trainer's guide and the 'Bajenu Gox' manual," she explained, praising the collaboration with civil society for the implementation of these programs.

She also announced plans for improvement to better support the "Bajenu Gox". "We will see to what extent we can have orientation sessions for all 11,250 "Bajenu Gox" in Senegal," she said.

Furthermore, the focal point indicated that a strategic guidance document currently being finalized will take into account all issues related to gender-based violence.