Major work of feminism, “La parole aux negresses” by Awa Thiam reissued in Senegal

For several months, it has been possible to find in bookstores in Senegal a book that had completely disappeared from the shelves. The word of the Negresses by the Senegalese anthropologist Awa Thiam, a major work of feminism, was republished in June in Senegal. While this work, essential in American faculties, is still not taught in Senegalese universities, the Saaraba publishing house, which republishes the work, is organizing literary meetings in several cities in the country to publicize this text and the issues it addresses.

With our correspondent in Dakar, Léa-Lisa Westerhoff

Seated in front of around twenty women, Ndèye Fatou Kane, doctoral student in sociology, reads an extract from The word of the Negresses.

In the audience, Fatoumata Diallo, a financial engineer, cannot recover from the shock she experienced when reading the work. “ I felt a news that surprised me, and I looked again at the date this book came out and in 2024 we are still talking about the same subjects, moral, physical, economic violence “, she believes.

Published in 1978, Awa Thiam is the first African to dare to report, in a book, the problems which plague the lives of her Senegalese, Guinean, Malian, Ivorian or Nigerian sisters.

« She made women's voices visible to make us heard »

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