Romantic relationship in Senegal

A romantic relationship may remain informal, become an engagement, or lead to a civil, customary or religious marriage. The terms union libre and concubinage describe unmarried cohabitation or partnership; Senegal has no national registration system for dating or partnerships and no identified public relationship-counselling institution. People commonly form relationships through social networks, digital communication, and family or religious introductions. Fiançailles, or engagement, is recognized in Senegalese family law. Under Article 105 of the Code de la famille, it may last for up to one year. The engaged partners may visit each other according to local custom and are expected to behave with restraint toward other people. A breach can constitute a legitimate reason to end the engagement, but engagement does not create the maintenance, support or other marital claims that arise from marriage. Either engaged partner can end it unilaterally. Where an engaged person is a minor, the decision must come from that minor in front of witnesses and family representatives. Marriage provides the strongest formal status for a couple. It can be celebrated civilly or recorded by an officier de l'état civil at a mairie after a customary or religious ceremony. The marriage process generally involves personal submission of a birth certificate issued less than three months earlier, publication of the intended marriage and any required dispensation. Article 111 sets the usual minimum ages at 18 for men and 16 for women, subject to a dispensation for a serious reason. A marriage not recorded by the civil authorities may remain valid between the spouses but cannot generally be enforced against the state, local authorities or public and private institutions, including for family-related benefits. Late registration can make matrimonial effects available later. Senegal recognizes monogamy and forms of polygamy. Under Article 133, a man may have up to four wives, and the marriage record can reflect monogamy or a limited polygamous choice; without such a choice, the statutory regime is polygamy. Each wife in a polygamous marriage is entitled to equal treatment. In 2023, 35.2% of married women and men were in polygamous marriages, with different rates for women and men and between rural and urban areas. Around 52.1% of marriages were not registered nationally; the reported rate was 72.1% in Kolda, 69.0% in Sédhiou and 66.8% in Kaffrine. These figures show why the civil record can affect practical access to rights and services. Marriage creates duties of shared life, respect, affection, fidelity, care and assistance under Articles 149 to 151 of the Code de la famille. Articles 152 and 153 also contain gender-asymmetric rules concerning family leadership and residence. Unmarried partners generally have weaker documented recognition. Health facilities and community workers, including ACS and ACPP services, provide sexual and reproductive health care. National bodies include the Ministère de la Santé et de l'Action sociale, the Direction de la Santé de la Mère et de l'Enfant, the Division de la Santé de l'Adolescent and the Division de la Planification familiale. Contraceptive use figures differ by source and denominator: the 2023 ANSD EDS summary reports 18% of women aged 15 to 49 currently using contraception, while an MSAS report gives a national prevalence of 25.6%. Among 15- to 19-year-olds in union, the reported family-planning figure was 9%; 12.3% had begun their reproductive life, 10.1% were adolescent mothers and 2.3% had experienced pregnancy before age 15. Access and infrastructure vary substantially by region, with services concentrated in Dakar, Thiès and Diourbel, and national costs are not uniform. Domestic violence, sexual violence and sexual harassment are criminal offences, and marriage does not replace consent. Rape and pedophilia are criminalized under Law 2020-05. Police Secours can be reached at 17, the gendarmerie at 123 and the Ministry of the Interior hotline at 800 00 20 20. GINDDI/116, ordinary police and courts, shelters, justice-of-proximity services and AJS or other nonprofit support can form part of a protection pathway, although access differs by region. An informal relationship has no dedicated national breakup procedure identified. An engagement can be ended unilaterally. A marriage may end through divorce by mutual consent or contentious divorce. The Tribunal d'instance at the wife's place of residence handles the application; the usual documents include a written request, the marriage certificate and, where relevant, the children's birth certificates. A Justice information page gives a fee of 2,400 FCFA, while timing depends on the complexity of the case. Grounds can include adultery, abandonment, mistreatment, excesses, serious insults and incompatibility of temperament. Consequences concerning spouses and children belong to family and civil law. Marriage between people of the same sex is not available under Article 141(2) of the Family Code. Law 2026-08, published on 30 March 2026, criminalizes same-sex sexual or sexual-character acts under Article 319 with imprisonment of five to ten years and a fine of 2,000,000 to 10,000,000 FCFA; advocacy, financing or support can also carry criminal penalties. There is no identified safe formal relationship pathway for same-sex couples, so privacy and personal safety risks require particular care.