2008 INTERNATIONAL WOMEN OF COURAGE: SENEGALESE CANDIDATE.

UNCLAS DAKAR 002071 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR G/IWI, AF/W, AF/RSA, DRL AND INR/AA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KWMN PREL KPAO PHUM KISL SG SUBJECT: 2008 INTERNATIONAL WOMEN OF COURAGE: SENEGALESE CANDIDATE. REF: STATE 126072 Post hereby nominates Dr. Penda MBow, Professor of History at Cheikh Anta Diop University and President of the civic organization, Citizen Movement. BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION -------------- Full legal name: Penda MBOW (em-bo) Job title: President of Citizen Movement and Professor of History at Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal. Date of Birth:May 16, 1955 in Dakar Country of birth: Senegal Citizenship: Senegalese Address: Campus universitaire Batiment C Appartement 12, Dakar-Fann, BP 25968, Dakar, Senegal Telephone: 221 33 824 77 57 (home); 221 76 684 68 62 Email: pmbow@ucad.refer.sn or movcitoyen@sentoo.sn Passport number: 101 811 06 JUSTIFICATION -------------- Professor Penda MBow is known in the most remote huts and villages of Senegal as an incarnation of courage, freedom, and a tireless advocate for the promotion of women's rights in the Islamic world. As a member of Senegal's elite, she chose very early in her career to fight for ordinary women's freedom and social promotion. In the 70s she concentrated on basic needs such as access to water to alleviate women's domestic chores. She also was the first and only opinion-maker to denounce the caste system in Senegal, which is still a taboo and hinders women's social mobility. Penda's most significant contribution is her commitment for women's freedom in Islamic societies. She achieved success in this area through a feminist interpretation of Islam and the Koran. As a historian of Islam who has mastered the Koran, she confronted the Islamist Movement in Senegal in the early 90s. She received death threats and was physically assaulted by Islamist groups when she gave a public conference on March 8, 1992 questioning the use of Islam to justify polygamy and to establish a correlation between polygamy and the risk of spreading HIV/AIDS. Not only was she assaulted, but Islamists denounced her in their sermons in mosques and in the media. She courageously led a legal battle against them in the courts, leading to the deportation by the Senegalese Government of Pakistani Islamists who were mentoring the fledgling Senegalese Islamist movement. She continued her fight in 2003 by opposing Islamists again when they tried to introduce a new family Code based on Sharia on the grounds that only 93 percent of Senegalese people are of the Islamic faith. The new Code they had submitted to the Head of State with support from many religious leaders attempted to significantly reduce the rights of women and suppress the progress achieved by women. Thanks to her determined opposition the project was aborted. In 2007, during the preparation of the presidential elections, Penda again denounced the interference of Islamic religious leaders and asked that they leave citizens to vote according to their conscience. She was verbally attacked by religious groups and again received death threats. She ignored them and refused to take any special security measures to protect her life. As a result, she became all the more admired and respected by the Senegalese people and many expressed their support for her efforts. Penda has successfully combined theological and academic theory with a commitment grassroots activism to become a potent force for the freedom of women. She says that she makes no distinction between women and society, in her own words "to free women is to free society". She has published dozens of articles and given hundreds of conferences around the world on issues of women, violence and religions; Islam and women; and women's religious innovations. Realizing the importance role of youth in that combat she established in 2002 a center to promote civic education to ensure that a new generation will continue the combat for freedom and democracy. This nomination supports our key Mission Strategic Plan goals of Combating Terrorism and promoting Democratic Systems and Practices. SMITH