Sokhna Ndao's 'Catharsis' Exposes Regressive Women's Rights in Senegal

Senegalese novelist Sokhna Ndao releases her fourth novel 'Catharsis' with Obangame editions, exploring violence against women in a patriarchal society. The book follows Tabara, a gifted seamstress abused by her in-laws, who eventually emancipates through her talent. Ndao wrote the novel during the COVID-19 pandemic and notes that six years later, women's rights have regressed: 'Women of my generation have fewer rights in Senegal than previous generations.' She criticizes the unreformed family code still using terms like 'paternal power,' where husbands can beat wives and women cannot return home without dishonor. The author researched Islamic law and Senegal's family code to depict Tabara's ignorance of her legal rights. Ndao highlights how mothers often project trauma onto daughters, and how an ecosystem of complicity enables abuse. The novel deconstructs myths about justice and expatriation, showing Tabara's husband Farah struggling in France. Each chapter opens with a pop/rock lyric from artists like David Bowie, Coldplay, and Phil Collins, forming a soundtrack Ndao listened to while writing. She cites her father's introduction to The Beatles and notes Senegalese musicians like Ismaël Lo and Youssou N'Dour drew from Western artists.