At birth, a goat or a sheep
In nomadic society, marriage is usually followed by the birth of one or more children. Traditionally, the father and mother each give a goat or a sheep, which then becomes the first element of the newborn's herd. The Somali child is given three names: his first name, the father's name and the grandfather's name. He must learn the essential things for his life: his genealogy (from the age of 6) to know who he is (because here one does not know where one comes from but from whom one comes), the tales and songs through which tradition and knowledge are transmitted, and the knowledge of the desert that surrounds him (weather, fauna and flora).
Boys are circumcised between the ages of 8 and 10, which gives rise to great celebrations. Circumcision has been practiced here for thousands of years. In the past, girls were also systematically excised (removal of the clitoris) and infibulated according to nomadic customs. Female genital mutilation is now illegal in Djibouti (article 333 of the Penal Code), but is still practised. However, attitudes are changing, especially in the capital for the moment.
Life expectancy remains low: 65 years (82 years in France, 65 years in Ethiopia, 65 years in Eritrea, 56 years in Somalia).Education and nomadic learning
For centuries, the nomadic tribes that populate Djibouti have known only oral culture. History, traditions, religion, everything was transmitted orally. And it was not until the 1970s that Afar and Somali were transcribed.
Djibouti is one of the countries in Africa that was decolonized the latest. And the French colonists did not make much effort to develop education. After independence, education became a priority for the young state, which saw it as a sure means of popular cohesion and the elevation of each individual. Schools multiplied throughout the country. The primary school enrolment rate has now reached 90%, but this rate has dropped to 66% in secondary school.
In 2000, a university (PUD) was opened(www. univ.edu.dj) in collaboration with French universities. Today, students can follow 5 main courses of study: medicine, science, engineering, law/economics/management, literature/languages/human sciences. French remains the language of instruction. The diplomas are recognized in France. There are also short vocational courses in the tertiary sector and industry.Health and Social Security
Traditional medicine is practiced by sheiks and marabouts. The former are at the same time Koranic school teachers, prayer teachers and pharmacologists. The latter are more like healers who make amulets and plant-based treatments. Popular remedies for prevention and treatment are still used by the population.
The resources offered by the fauna and especially the flora of the semi-desert regions are used extensively. You will see many of these products at the market in Djibouti, which does not prevent you from consulting a dispensary. The two are complementary in people's minds. One provides professional care, the other more or less, but with comfort, words and a religious dimension. The University of Djibouti opened its medical school in 2007, the first cohort graduated in 2015. Since then, the school has been training about 40 general practitioners each year.
Djiboutians have had a social protection system since 1953, but it was in 2014 that the Universal Health Insurance (UHI) was created. It provides basic medical coverage to the entire population living on the territory of the Republic of Djibouti.Djibouti society today
All Djiboutians are originally nomads, from families of indefatigable walkers, dagger slung over their shoulder, stick between their shoulders, incomparable readers of the desert... Traditionally, the daily life of nomads revolves around two elements: the herd (its greatest wealth) and the quest for water. In a traditional Issa nomadic family, the roles are well defined: the man is in charge of the security of the herd and the camp, the milking of the camels, and the relations with the outside world. The women raise the children and take care of the water and wood supply, and milk the sheep and goats. The children soon learn to herd cattle.
The country today pragmatically blends nomadic traditions with the demands of modern life and foreign influences. The population, largely sedentary, often lives from small businesses, an activity in which they excel. The elites who run the country were often trained abroad and influence local life. Women are asserting their place in society and are very active, especially since they do not consume qat. Djibouti is changing, and not everyone is happy about it. The benefits of good economic performance are not really shared. Unemployment and poverty are entrenched and, to get by, people have to help each other, find small commercial activities; in short, get by.
In the second half of the 20th century, mabraz were created, private circles where Djiboutians, regardless of their social status, like to get together to drink tea, "graze" on qat and discuss the major orientations of life and the country. The social role of these mabraz is not negligible. It is there that, in the 1970s, the desire for independence partly took shape. And even today, these spaces are the scene of discussions between various actors in society.The wedding
Traditionally, among the Issa nomads, a man marries at the age of 25 and chooses a wife who is at least 15 years old and does not belong to the same fraction. At the time of his application, the suitor praises the ancestors of his future wife. He gives a dowry (livestock, objects of daily use) to his in-laws (half of which is returned to the couple one month after the marriage). The woman's family provides the toukoul, which the future wife decorates with jewellery. The ceremony lasts seven days and takes place at the bride's camp where the couple will spend the first month. Among the Afar, the rules of the fima
strictly govern the conditions of the marriage: who can marry whom, the date of the ceremony (it is fixed by the augurs). The man chooses his wife around the age of 25. According to custom, it is preferable that she belongs to the tribe of the suitor's father. During the ceremony, the young bride wears very colourful clothes and impressive jewellery, which each family treasures for this kind of occasion. The young couple must live with the woman's parents until she gives birth to her first child. The Family Code, adopted in 2002, provides that "marriage is formed only with the consent of both spouses and the woman's guardian" and article 13 sets the legal age of marriage at 18. Article 14 provides that "the marriage of minors who have not attained the age of legal majority shall be subject to the consent of their guardians". According to article 31, "the wife must respect the prerogatives of the husband as head of the family and must obey him in the interest of the family. The husband and wife must fulfil their conjugal duties in accordance with custom and practice". Polygamy is authorized by article 22. However, these provisions allow for a marriage to be challenged. These laws are intended to protect the rights of women in Djibouti, but their application comes up against the weight of tradition and deep-seated stereotypes about the role of women in society.The place of women
Travellers discover the women of Djibouti with wonder, in the markets, on the roadside leading a herd. Beautiful, slender, graceful, dressed in colorful fabrics that wrap them beautifully (the diri
), they have turned the heads of many foreigners. They have always played an essential, if discreet, role in Djiboutian society. The situation of Djiboutian women has changed considerably over the past few decades, as has the situation of the entire country. In the nomadic world, ancestral rules have governed her life within her tribe for centuries. With the sedentarization of the population and the increasing urbanization, many of them have become traders, and thus ensure a function still essential for the survival of the family. Little by little, they are gaining access to more important positions in society (management, business, justice), thanks to education and a change in mentality. The growing presence of women in politics will undoubtedly change things. More than 50% of university students are now women. But they are also the first to face unemployment and poverty.Poverty, unemployment, access to water
The measures taken in the 1990s have made it possible to redress a difficult situation. However, a large part of the population still lives in relative or even extreme poverty. Unemployment is very high (60%) and many only manage to get by, more or less well, through various temporary commercial activities. Most often, thanks to mutual aid as well. Access to drinking water remains a government priority and major projects have improved the situation in recent years, although there are glaring disparities between the capital and the rest of the country. Unemployment and poverty are partly explained by the weakness of human capital (lack of training) and the weakness of management capacities. The benefits of the military rent and the port activity directly benefit only a minority who, little by little, are distancing themselves from the daily realities of the population.
