Education, a government priority
Modeled after France, Togo's education system has four levels of education: kindergarten-primary, middle school, high school and higher education. Once considered a model in the sub-region, it collapsed during the socio-economic crisis that hit Togo in the 1990s. However, since 2010, the country has made considerable efforts in this area, with a steadily rising enrollment rate, especially in primary school, reaching 94.3% in 2021. This performance has been helped by the introduction of free school fees, health insurance and the institution of school canteens. At the primary level, the proportion of girls enrolled in school has increased considerably since 2015 and has even exceeded that of boys since 2018. While the primary school completion rate is 89% for all genders, it drops to 51% for middle school. Moreover, only 24% of girls complete the third grade compared to 45% of boys. In high school and university, this completion rate continues to drop drastically. In addition, upon graduation, few young graduates find jobs related to their level of training. Many efforts remain to be made in the area of education, such as access to quality training for teachers. According to World Bank data, only 75.7 percent of primary school teachers are trained. The Togolese government intends to continue its efforts between now and 2030 by improving the quality of education and increasing school capacity.
The particularities of the Togolese society
The average household size is eight people, but 30% of male-headed households have ten or more people. Family is often understood in a broader sense. Indeed, it is not uncommon for a brother to be simply a friend or neighbor from the same village or ethnic group. This is characteristic of the strong solidarity that exists between members of the same ethnic group. They also tend to group together in the same neighborhoods when they migrate. The Agoe Nyiéve neighborhood in Lomé is thus known as the neighborhood of the Kabyè, who chose it because it was on the Kara-Lomé axis. Similarly, Muslims gather in neighborhoods called Zongo. Togolese generally have several first names: a first name in the mother tongue, which is often linked to a particular event or birth, and a religious first name. Christianized names are most often old names in use that are becoming rare, such as Marie-Antoinette, Rosaline, etc. Some names are innovative: Bienvenu, Trésor, Lumière, Ange... Among the Éwé, there is a particularity: the name is linked to the day of birth. Sometimes a noun is added: vi (small) or gan (big). Example: Kodjovi, or "Little Kodjo", Kodjo meaning "born on a Monday". In the case of male twins, the first names used are Atchou and Etché. If they are girls, Akoko and Akwelé. In the case of a boy and a girl, the boy will be called Atchou and the girl Atchoupé. After the birth of twins, the male child that follows will take the name of Edo, if it is a girl, that of Dovi or Dope. If a child is born of the same sex as the previous ones, particular names are also used: the third boy will be called Mensah and the third girl Massa, the fourth boy will be called Anani and the fourth girl Mana..
Marriage, a practice governed by religions and traditions
Marriage is the most frequent marital status in Togo and is the occasion for great festivities whose rituals differ according to religious and cultural affiliation. Women marry earlier than men: around 17 in rural areas and 20 in urban areas, while men marry on average around 25 in rural areas and 27 in urban areas. The tradition of dowry remains very much alive, especially in the villages. The dowry is set by the in-laws and consists of a sum of money, drinks, loincloths and jewelry. The sum of money was originally given to the bride-to-be to start her business, but the tradition has been hijacked for the benefit of the parents-in-law. Traditionally, the future husband must go to his father-in-law's house early in the morning with two bottles of whiskey and a bottle of sodabi and declare that "if he is looking for his daughter, she is with him. The dowry is then fixed. On the day of the wedding, the families gather and an elder consecrates the marriage after a ceremony dedicated to the ancestors. Polygamy remained a common practice in Togo. forty-three percent of women live in polygamy, particularly in rural areas. The Central region (the most Islamized) had the highest rate of polygamy (about 60%), followed by the Savanes and Kara regions.
The place of women in Togolese society
Women make up a significant portion of the labor force: in rural areas, their activities are concentrated in the preparation of cereal-based beverages, baking, basketry, pottery and weaving. In urban areas, hairdressing and sewing are common female activities. Women are also very present in informal trade, where they play an important economic role. The role of women in agriculture should also be highlighted. 41% of women work in the food-producing sector, where they are responsible for agricultural processing and distribution. They have little access to resources such as land or capital goods. Access to land is governed by customary law, which is unfavorable to women: they do not inherit land, and must make do with plots of land ceded to them by their fathers or husbands, over which they have only a right of use. It is estimated that only 10% of women have access to land. The lack of capital and access to credit is the root cause of the precariousness of most income-generating activities.
