[Women and international migration in Senegal: from marginalization to active participation (attempt to analyze the role of women in the migratory processes and the effects of return)]

Only recently have researchers become interested in women’s migration. The presence of women in migratory flows has always been minimized. That also holds true for the case of Senegal where one often believed that international migration involved only men. However to the contrary women have helped strengthen migratory flows in recent periods. This study describes the role of Senegalese women in international migrations to Senegal in the context of economic crisis. In Senegal cultural influences born from migration contributed to the breaking down of this patriarchal society’s traditional values. Therefore like in many other sub-Saharan African countries researchers are becoming increasingly interested in the international migration of women. International migration involves both men and women during periods of economic crisis. Women increasingly support the migration process by helping their children and husbands depart but also as migrants themselves. The growing role of women in migration surely goes together with their growing social independence. The weakness of information sources the context of women’s international migration in Senegal emigrated women and migrants’ wives and the evolution of behaviors and practices in the context of international migration are discussed.