The year 2001 sees the launch of the project entitled "Information and Communication Technologies supporting women's gender equality programmes in Senegal". The project is being implemented by ENDA Third-World in partnership with Siggil Jigeen, and supported by the International Development Research Centre.

The project aims to raise public awareness of the need for replacing notions of "marital power" and "paternal power" with ideas of "joint parenting" and "joint responsibility for the family". This will be done through research, content production, information and communication, training and lobbying - using the many tools offered by the Internet.

The Senegalese Family Code, which was considered quite innovative when it was enshrined in 1972, features some stipulations which discriminate against women and which run counter to the principles stated in the country's new Constitution. They also contravene the principles contained in the various international treaties aiming to protect women's rights, and to which Senegal is a signatory. Marital or paternal power are seen as the primary cause of prejudices suffered by women, their children, and their family counterparts in the various aspects of their daily lives (family, health, work, finance, nationality, etc.). The same situation prevails in many countries in the world, and even in the sub-region, although some countries, including in Africa, have amended their legislation and regulations in order to create greater equality between men and women.

This project will be conducted in association with various civil society and human rights organisations, as well as the media, and in consultation with the national public authorities and elected officials. The project will actively collaborate with African and international information networks which seek to promote the rights of the individual.

The project is run by ENDA Third World's SYNFEV team ("Synergy Gender and Development"). The objective of SYNFEV is to promote activities which benefit women by boosting gender equality, peace and development.

Siggil Jigeen is a consultation and action framework made up of 17 Senegalese NGOs working for the promotion of women's status in Senegal.