“Gòor dafay dëgër”: when masculine strength becomes a social injunction (2/4) April 11, 2026

In the Senegalese social imagination, masculinity has long remained associated with strength, silence and endurance. Dr Bernadette Sonko, specialist in female/male gender issues in the media, deciphers the foundations, transmission mechanisms and blind spots of this social virility which shapes men… sometimes to the point of exhaustion. “It means that the man is a symbol of virility. It must embody power, might, domination, strength, violence, risk, endurance and courage. The moment he deviates from these norms, his masculinity is called into question. He is considered subhuman, even a “Yambar,” explains Ms. Sonko. This norm of virility, she explains, is an ancient social construct, deeply rooted in history and cultural practices. For her, it is a social construct that crosses history and cultures: “To quote Professor Gora Mbodji who, through the practices of “dàmp” (massage) and the rituals of feral (weaning), shows how the boy is prepared for the status of “boroom kër” (responsible for the house), to defend his family, his clan and to conquer the world. »The boy’s preparation to become a man thus involves the body, resistance and endurance. The massage must then transform him into a “Person of work, of power (…). You then need a muscular body, a personality of resistance and endurance. (…) (Mbodj, 1997)”. From childhood, socialization is differentiated and codified. “Already, from a very young age, he must distinguish himself from girls by his behavior, his way of speaking and being, his appearance, clothing, hairstyle, dating, sports, games, etc. An entire symbolic space is built and maintained for him over the years,” underlines the specialist.

According to him, this construction is accompanied by a learning of silence, often opposed to feminine stereotypes. “You often hear “Gòor du bari wax wax dafay jëf”… in opposition to so-called devalued feminine characteristics. This construction also hides a lot of suffering under the muscles because men are not immune to stigma either,” she continues. And to add: “In the family, the man embodies the authority “borom kër”, he is the “kilifa”, seen as the protector, provider and guarantor of family cohesion. He is the boss, he must show signs of virility to impose himself, even if the reality may be different. »

Read also: Male mental health in Senegal: The man between social virility, economic pressure and cultural silence (1/4)

But, specifies Dr Sonko, traditional models are now being shaken up. “We are in a society in movement, a change is taking place regarding the ways of being a man. Masculinities come in different forms, especially on social networks,” analyzes Ms. Sonko. For the specialist, one of the big blind spots remains male suffering, still largely unthought of: “The myth of the strong, virile man is quite anchored in people’s minds. It is still unthinkable to recognize a man as an object of suffering. Hence the difficulty in dealing with this suffering. »And to warn: “However, it is time to open up our view of victims who are associated with the masculine to avoid deaths of despair. »

By Adama NDIAYE