A great wealth of names
The range of first names is very rich in Benin. For in addition to the Christian or Muslim first name, which is sometimes very old and is hardly used anymore except in Africa (like Clotaire, Guenièvre or Guillemette), there is a second traditional first name. It can be specific to the ethnic group or reveal a particularity of the birth. For example, the first-born of twins is almost systematically named Zinsou and the second Sagbo.
Facial scarification
Beyond the first names, the ethnic groups are also distinguished by various clothing or body ornaments, the most astonishing of which are the facial scarifications. There is a multitude of them which vary within the groups and according to the initiation rites, especially voodoo. From the simple slash on the cheek to the impressive parallel scars going from the top of the skull to the chin, the scarifications are a means of social recognition for the initiates. You don't have to go deep into the bush to see them. Former president Mathieu Kérékou, a native of the North, had his face marked by fine parallel scars below his eyes.
Educational attainment lags behind
Before independence, Dahomey had many executives working in the French colonial administration, and for a long time had the reputation of being "the Latin Quarter" of Africa, to use the expression of the philosopher Emmanuel Mounier. Although Benin now has highly competent executives in various international organizations, the general level of education is not brilliant. In rural areas, girls rarely attend school. And when children do go to school, the dropout rate is extremely high: 6 out of 10 children go to secondary school, and only two of them finish! The other problem is the size of the student body. On the teachers' side, qualified personnel and quality infrastructures are quickly in short supply, and on the students' side, the number of students is very high: approximately 46% of the Beninese population is under 15 years old! As a result, the average school leaving age is 14 and the literacy rate is barely 42.4% of the population (54% of men and 31.1% of women)
Education System. General middle schools and high schools cover almost the entire country. Most are state-owned, but there are also private and religious schools. The National University of Benin, not to be confused with the University of Benin in Togo, is located in Abomey-Calavi, on the outskirts of Cotonou. This was originally done to temper the ardor of student protest. It is the only public institution of higher education in Benin and it welcomes no more than ten thousand students. At the time of the revolution, a large number of scholarship holders went to Eastern European countries for higher education, but with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the USSR, this path was closed
Housing, from concession to private property
In the time of the Abomey kingdom, housing was governed by the concession, the right granted by the chief of the land to settle on a piece of land. In principle, the land did not belong to anyone. There was only a right of use. In the savannah zone in particular, no one could occupy a piece of land without having received customary authorization. The chief of the land, generally from the lineage of the first arrivals who cleared the land, was responsible for its allocation. Any new settlement required the agreement of the local genies and often the construction of the hut was accompanied by an offering. The concession then became the dwelling unit comprising one or more huts, where the extended family lived with grandparents, brothers, children, different wives in polygamous societies, as well as the space reserved for the kitchen, the awnings to shelter from the sun, etc. It was also the place that served as a shelter for the animals. In the city, the concession was smaller and adapted to the conditions of the urban environment. Today, the modern world obliges, land is the subject of transactions in cash, except for wetlands which remain the property of the State.
Low life expectancy
Life expectancy at birth, which was 36 years in 1960, has since improved well but remains at a fairly low level: 62.2 years (in 2022): 60.4 years for men and 64.1 years for women. Similarly, the infant mortality rate is improving, but remains at a high level since it has been estimated at 55 ‰ in 2021. Water sanitation appears to be paramount, especially access to clean water in rural areas. For the statistics are formal. Waterborne diseases account for more than 50% of all diseases.
However, as in many African countries, malaria remains the leading cause of death, particularly among children under five. And, not encouragingly, a very large proportion of the population in Benin attributes malaria to excessive oil consumption, prolonged exposure to the sun, and witchcraft.
The AIDS virus is another cause for concern. After a sharp rise from 0.3 percent in 1990 to 4.1 percent in 2001, the prevalence rate has fallen back to 0.9 percent, according to the latest figures provided in 2021. However, this progress is uneven, as the rate continues to rise and can reach 10% in some regions where there is significant population movement.
FGC is still practiced, particularly in the north, among the Bariba, Fulani, Wama, and Dendi, as well as the Yoruba and Nago. However, female circumcision is not a tradition in the south of the country.
Finally, traditional medicine, which relies mainly on herbal medicine, still has a bright future ahead of it, as public health services are largely deficient. On average, there is one doctor and one midwife for every 10,000 inhabitants.
Morals and society facts
Ethnicities, lineages, families, initiation rites, as is often the case in Africa, Beninese customs are very different from those we know in the West.
Structure of the society.
According to the journalist specializing in Africa, Bernard Nantet, the strong solidarity observed in African societies is linked to its highly structured organization into ethnic groups, lineages and clans. The ethnic group forms a human group with a common cultural heritage including language, culture and history, but which is not necessarily united by a common authority. The origin of the ethnic group refers to a mythical ancestor. In Africa, filiation is transmitted, depending on the ethnic group, either by the mother or by the father. Within the ethnic group, the lineage is constituted by a large family whose kinship goes back several generations to a single ancestor and whose members are bound by an obligation of solidarity. Finally, the clan is the group of individuals who refer to a political or religious personality and who perpetuate its specificity.The family.
It was not easy, but after several years of procrastination, the deputies adopted, in June 2004, a new family code which, although it goes against old traditions, recognizes the equal rights of men and women. Polygamy is now prohibited by law. In addition, daughters can inherit the property of their deceased parents, just as the surviving spouse (both male and female) has the right to inherit the property of his or her deceased spouse. Finally, a married woman has the right to keep her maiden name, and natural children have the same rights as legitimate children. However, not all of these provisions are applied literally, as customary marriage remains a possibility for Muslims to be polygamous. The levirate is a widespread practice in West Africa, in which a widow is given as a wife to one of her deceased husband's brothers. This custom, which is intended to prevent the widow from leaving the family by contracting another marriage and thus having children outside the family of her deceased husband, has been prohibited since the adoption of the new family code in 2004.Initiation rites. Among some ethnic groups, society is structured in age groups, notably among the Betammaribè (Somba) in Atacora. At the age of puberty, young people are initiated into traditions according to well-established rites. Only after this initiation are they considered full-fledged adults with rights and obligations. The Diffoni, which takes place every four years, is the initiation rite for boys. Each young boy is assigned a counselor, who is responsible for his sexual education and other matters. The Diffoni consists of several stages during which one must travel from the site where the earth genie is located to the sacred forest. During this passage ceremony, the young boys are beaten. Their courage and their ability to become men are attested to by the marks and scars that remain. Four years later, on the occasion of the new Diffoni ceremony, these young initiates receive the attributes of hunters: a hat with buffalo horns, copper earrings and weapons. The Dikuntiri, the initiation rite for young girls, precedes the Diffoni. They also have a counselor, but the rite is shorter. As soon as the young women are initiated, they are allowed to wear a hat with antelope horns and can live with their husbands, who are often given to them at a young age.
