Family in Senegal

Senegal's Family Code regulates marriage, parenthood, financial support and several forms of child protection. Extended families provide much of the daily care, including food, health access and schooling. Senegal recorded fertility of about 4.0 children per woman in the 2023 EDS and 4.2 in the 2023 population census. Polygamous unions remain common: the 2023 EDS recorded them for 29% of women and 12% of men aged 15 to 49, while the census found that 35.2% of married people were in polygamous marriages. A large share of marriages is not registered with the state. A civil marriage takes place before an officier de l'état civil at a commune. The legal marriage options are monogamy, limited polygamy or polygamy; if no option is recorded, polygamy is the default under the Family Code, with a maximum of four wives. The usual minimum age is over 18 for a man and over 16 for a woman, although a dispensation may be possible. A minor needs the required consent from the person exercising puissance paternelle, the legal parental authority. A dowry may be agreed and belongs to the wife. Every birth, marriage and death must be registered with the civil-status authority. A birth should be declared within one month by a parent, relative, doctor, midwife or birth attendant. Birth registration itself is free, while copies may incur a charge. A late declaration can require a court decision. A death should also be declared within one month; hospitals report deaths within 24 hours. The death record is linked to the birth record, and a bulletin or extract can be requested. Missing documents, travel distance and unequal local registration coverage can delay access to official records. Spouses owe food, maintenance, upbringing and education to their children. The law describes parental authority as shared, although traditional family roles may give the father a stronger practical position during marriage. A mother can ask a court to correct a decision that harms the child's welfare. The obligation alimentaire, meaning legally enforceable family support, can apply between relatives in a direct line, siblings and adoptive relatives when one person has a vital need and another has sufficient resources. Support may be paid in money or provided directly, but court enforcement is usually needed when the parties do not agree. Tutelle is formal guardianship for a minor when both parents have died, parentage is not established or the parents cannot exercise care. The juge des tutelles at the minor's place of residence and a conseil de famille may be involved. Adoption plénière replaces the original parent-child relationship and creates the same rights and duties as a birth relationship; it is irrevocable. Adoption limitée preserves the original family relationship and may be revoked for serious reasons. A child older than 15 must consent personally, and consent can be given before a judge, notary or consular authority. Consent may be withdrawn within three months, while placement is ordered by the competent court. Child protection services include social services, tribunaux pour enfants, AEMO services for educational support in the family environment and the Direction générale de la Protection judiciaire et sociale. They address threats to a child's health, safety, morals or development, including domestic violence, exploitation, forced begging, child marriage and female genital mutilation. Families may also seek targeted support through the Programme national de bourses de sécurité familiale and the national social registry. These programs do not reach every household; UNICEF reported national coverage of 12.5% of children, and a 2024 assessment found multidimensional child poverty at 50.7% and monetary child poverty at 43.3%. Divorce may proceed by mutual consent or through a contested case. The court decides custody according to the child's welfare and may set contact rights or place care with a third person. A separation de corps reduces the legal effects of marriage without ending the marriage itself. After a parent's death, protection may continue through guardianship, relatives or social services. In a family crisis, the appropriate commune, court, social service or child-protection body depends on the issue and the family's place of residence.