Is Senegal safe for women travellers?
Significant restrictions
Senegal carries significant legal restrictions for women travellers — the clearest concern is women's legal rights (major legal gaps).
What to know as a woman
the sourced facts that weigh most for you · concerns first
Significant legal gaps remain for women — the WBL index scores 73/100 (2023). Expect unequal rules in areas such as mobility, marriage or the workplace; check local specifics before you travel.
Abortion is prohibited under the Penal Code except to save the woman’s life; Article 35 of the Code of Medical Ethics permits a therapeutic abortion only if three doctors certify it is the sole means of saving her life.
The Constitution and Labour Code (Art. L.1) prohibit discrimination on race, ethnicity, sex and religion in employment, but there is no comprehensive anti-discrimination law and no protection covering sexual orientation or gender identity.
Identity & recognition
Same-sex relationships
CriminalisedArticle 319 of the 1965 Penal Code criminalises same-sex ’acts against nature’; a March 2026 amendment raised the penalty to 5-10 years’ imprisonment.
Legal gender recognition
Not possibleSenegal provides no legal procedure to change one’s gender marker, and non-binary identities are not recognised.
Anti-discrimination protection
PartialThe Constitution and Labour Code (Art. L.1) prohibit discrimination on race, ethnicity, sex and religion in employment, but there is no comprehensive anti-discrimination law and no protection covering sexual orientation or gender identity.
Disability rights
CRPD 2010 + lawSenegal ratified the CRPD on 7 September 2010 and enacted the Social Orientation Law No. 2010-15 on the promotion and protection of persons with disabilities.
Women's legal rights
Major legal gapsSignificant legal gaps remain for women — the WBL index scores 73/100 (2023). Expect unequal rules in areas such as mobility, marriage or the workplace; check local specifics before you travel.
LGBTQ+ legal equality
Few or no protectionsLGBTQ+ people face a hostile legal environment — Equaldex scores 5/100 (2026); expect few or no protections, and in some places active criminalisation. Research local law and discretion carefully.
Body & health
Abortion access
To save life onlyAbortion is prohibited under the Penal Code except to save the woman’s life; Article 35 of the Code of Medical Ethics permits a therapeutic abortion only if three doctors certify it is the sole means of saving her life.
Cannabis & personal drug law
Illegal, severeCannabis is illegal for all uses in Senegal; possession, sale, trafficking and cultivation are criminal offences with heavy penalties, cultivation carrying up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
Faith & conscience
Government restriction of religion
Moderate (est.)Senegal is a constitutionally secular state with broad religious tolerance; Pew’s Government Restrictions Index places it in the moderate band, though the exact recent score could not be confirmed.
Blasphemy & apostasy law
On the booksSenegal has no dedicated blasphemy statute, but Penal Code provisions on offending religious worship exist and people have occasionally been prosecuted for insulting Islam or religious figures.
Speech & press
Freedom of expression
Free · 70/100Rated Free, 70/100, by Freedom House (2025).
Your obligations on arrival
Address / residence registration
Foreign nationals residing beyond the 90-day visa-free period must obtain a residence permit (carte de sejour); students register and apply on arrival at the Direction Generale des Etrangers et des Titres de Voyage.
Student work rights
A student visa does not itself authorise employment; paid work requires a separate work-and-residence permit approved by the Ministry of Labour, so student work is effectively not permitted.
Health insurance
Health insurance is not a stated requirement for entry or enrolment, but medical care must be paid for out of pocket (often up front), so comprehensive travel and medical insurance is strongly recommended.
Bringing medication
Travellers should carry a copy of their prescription and keep medicines in original packaging; importing controlled or narcotic substances is restricted or prohibited even with a prescription, so verify with a Senegalese embassy beforehand.
Laws differ from lived experience and this is not legal advice. Each fact shows its evidence type, date and source. Full method & sources →
Emergency numbers
Travel-medical cover that works abroad with no local address, and a data eSIM so maps and messaging work the moment you land.