Women across West Africa have a life expectancy of just 59 years, the lowest of any female population globally. In a rare project, Sylvia Arthur set out to give voice to those who have lived beyond expectation, whose experiences have been largely overlooked in official narratives.
Addra insisted that his aunt, Anyessi Dossou, did not have a story to tell. 'She’s just an old woman who’s never left the village,' he said. But when Dossou, in her early 80s, began to speak, she recounted the impact of being widowed young, raising five children, and the intense heartbreak of losing a son. 'I’ve never heard her talk like that,' Addra conceded.
Marie-Thérèse Fakambi, from Benin, studied midwifery and delivered around 5,000 children over 18 years, often by oil lamp. She never married or had children, defying her mother's wishes. 'At one point, I told myself, “Well, no, you don’t have to have children,”' she said. Now retired, she organises traditional marriage ceremonies and was appointed head of her extended family, a role usually held by men.
Méwounèsso Tchetike, from Togo, was betrothed before birth. Her father arranged a dowry of grains to be paid annually until she was given to her husband's family. Despite reservations, she could not go against her father's will. 'It would bring shame on my family,' she said. Child marriage remains common in Togo, with one in four girls married before 18.
Arthur conducted 100 interviews with women over 60 in Benin, Togo, Sierra Leone and the Gambia. These women are farmers, traders, teachers, seamstresses, businesswomen, mothers, trade unionists and community leaders. They have defied stereotypes, not just in age but in breaking social and cultural barriers.
