Why women have an especially tough time in Senegal's prisons

"The year was 2021. Maimouna Diouf had been found guilty of infanticide a charge she denies, claiming she gave birth to a stillborn child that she buried without notifying the authorities. Diouf looked around her shared room in the Thies detention center in Thies, Senegal. She was one of 10 prisoners assigned to sleep in the small space. There were dirty, old mattresses on the floor, she says."

"According to a report released in 2024 by the U.S. State Department, 'judicial backlogs and absenteeism of judges resulted in an average wait of two years between the filing of charges and the beginning of a trial.' During this period of limbo, an estimated 60% of those charged are kept in prison."

"It's very difficult for these women, especially the women who are innocent, but they are in prison waiting for trial. They sometimes do not have the means to have a lawyer, and in Senegal there is a lack of judges so that can delay the trial, too."

Maimouna Diouf was imprisoned in Senegal's Thies detention center in 2021 on infanticide charges she denies, experiencing horrific conditions including overcrowded cells with dirty mattresses and poor sanitation. Released in 2025, she now advocates for female inmates. Senegal's approximately 280 women prisoners face systemic challenges including inadequate access to basic hygiene products like menstrual supplies. The justice system creates prolonged suffering through judicial backlogs, with an average two-year wait between charges and trial commencement, during which approximately 60% of accused individuals remain imprisoned. Many women lack legal representation and face extended pretrial detention, compounding their hardship in already inadequate prison facilities.

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