Border Activities of Women on the Nguéli Bridge (Chad - Cameroon)

Abstract

The construction of the Nguéli bridge in 1985 was an opportunity for many women. The bridge connects the city of Kousseri (Cameroon) to the city of N’Djamena (Chad). Before confined to domestic activities and child-bearing because of cultural restrictions and adverse economic conditions, women can now earn their living by crossing the border. The political unrest in Chad is marked by civil wars and armed rebellions, which also fostered the emergence of initiatives by these women. Cross-border mobility has become a vital source of income for divorced, widowed, unemployed, disabled, deaf and dumb people, etc. Here, the use of the Arabic language is a must. These activities are not riskless, because despite their infirmities and weaknesses, they can face adversity coming from police and customs officers, as well as regarding specialized services. Services in Chad are particularly demanding, more specifically the mobile Chadian customs, which has a reputation for being ruthless. Besides knowledge of the Arabic language, it is needed to appeal to kinship ties to escape a system in which the two countries (Chad and Cameroon) employ mostly men to filter the entries and exits of men and goods. However, some women were able to earn their living and support their families.