SENEGAL: Women mechanics at a Dakar garage put brakes on gender bias

Record ID: 493594

  • Title: SENEGAL: Women mechanics at a Dakar garage put brakes on gender bias
  • Date: 2nd May 2013
  • Summary: DAKAR, SENEGAL (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF FATOU CAMARA (LEFT) AND FATOU SYLLAH (RIGHT) REPAIRING A CAR AT THEIR GARAGE VARIOUS OF GARAGE EXTERIOR WITH SIGN READING: 'GARAGE FATOU FATOU MERCEDES' CAMARA AND SYLLAH REPAIRING CAR SYLLAH TIGHTENING BOLT ON FAN IN CAR ENGINE (SOUNDBITE) (French) FATOU SYLLAH, MECHANIC AND CO-OWNER OF GARAGE FATOU FATOU MERCEDES SAYING: "I
  • Embargoed: 17th May 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Senegal
  • Country: Senegal
  • Topics: Business,General,Quirky,Transport
  • Reuters ID: LVA6LBTJFZHS1PDHU9TTWSJPH0F3
  • Story Text: The female owners of "Garage Fatou Fatou Mercedes" work together like a well-oiled machine.
    The two mechanics, both named Fatou, say that without each other, they would never have had the courage to start their own car repair business -- two women working in what is traditionally considered a man's trade in Dakar, Senegal.
    Like in many predominantly patriarchal societies, many Senegalese women are often tasked to raise children, take care of the household and maybe run small businesses like selling fruits, fish and vegetables.
    However, Syllah and Camara are the exception, and since opening the garage in 2005, Fatou Fatou Mercedes has grown from strength to strength and now has eight employees, all of them men.
    Syllah says she would like to hire more female mechanics, but they hard to come by..
    She is however encouraged by what she sees as an increasing number of women enrolling in mechanic classes in Dakar.
    "I'm a little bit of a feminist. I would like for more women to do this type of work. Not even just as mechanics, but all jobs dominated by men - electrician, there are many other trades," she said.
    Syllah and Camara trained for three years in a technical school in the West African country, after which they interned at various workshops.
    They then decide to open their own business, with their savings.
    Syllah says it was not easy for two women to open their own business, as the two were ridiculed by other women, while male clients were hesitant to have their cars repaired by female mechanics.
    But through their passion for hard work and perseverance, the business went on to become a success.
    They were even invited to meet former Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade in 2007, for breaking the stereotype.
    "Me and my twin Fatou are like positive and negative (points), like a battery. Without the positive (point) it doesn't work, without the negative (point) it doesn't work," said Syllah.
    According to a United Nations Women report released in January this year, gender inequality persist when it comes to opportunities, due to a gap in education between the sexes.
    The literacy level amongst women aged between 15 to 24 years is 56 percent compared to 74 percent for men in the same age bracket.
    This is compounded by the fact that girls drop out of school early to get married.
    Camara says in this environment, women have to work twice as hard to remain competitive against their male counterparts.
    At garage Fatou Fatou Mercedes, the duo injects professionalism and quality skills in their work, which encourages customers to look beyond their gender.
    "There are people who come here and ask; are these women really capable of repairing my car? It's up to us to give them the reassurance they need, for them to feel comfortable to leave their car here ," Camara said.
    "I didn't even think about gender. Are they women? No, I didn't ask myself that question. I came here because of their reputation," said Oumar Sall, customer at garage Fatou Fatou Mercedes.
    Abdallah Diouf, a mechanic who works at the Cite Sonatel Deux garage just down the street from garage Fatou Fatou, says he has no problem with women working in the trade.
    But Diouf adds that a lack of physical strength might be a setback for women mechanics.
    "There are only a few women working as mechanics, because there are not enough heavy duty tools (hydraulic jacks). For men, there is no problem, we have enough strength to lift the engine with our hands, but for women, that does not work," he said.
    After work, Syllah and Camara make the half-hour drive home to the family home.
    Syllah's father, Imam Cheick Sidi Lamine says his daughter started showing an interest in mechanics at the tender age of 11 years old.
    Following her training, Syllah's father was apprehensive about her choice of such a non-traditional career path, but Syllah insisted, so Lamine had to let her go for internship.
    "When I took her to the workshop and she met Fatou Camara, they became 'Fatou, Fatou'. Another girl was at the workshop too, Natou, seeing that there were two women already at the workshop, I stopped worrying and I told myself it was okay to leave her there," he said.
    Syllah says the garage works on 10 cars a week, but their hope is to increase the number and expand the business.
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