Women urged to go on sex strike to force resignation of Togo president

Women are being asked to start withholding sex from their husbands or partners from today, said Isabelle Ameganvi, leader of the women’s wing of the group Let’s Save Togo.

She said the strike will put pressure on Togo’s men to take action against President Faure Gnassingbe.

Ms Ameganvi, a lawyer, told The Associated Press that her group is following the example of Liberia’s women, who used a sex strike in 2003 to campaign for peace.

“We have many means to oblige men to understand what women want in Togo,” Ms Ameganvi said. The sex strike was announced on Saturday at a rally of several thousand in the capital city, Lome.

The demonstration was organised by a coalition that is protesting at recent electoral reforms which they say will make it easier for Mr Gnassingbe to win re-election in the polls set for October.

Mr Gnassingbe came to power in 2005, following the death of his father, Gnassingbe Eyadema, who ruled the West African country with a population of seven million for 38 years. Mr Gnassingbe has not commented on the sex strike, nor has his wife.

Earlier this month, two anti-Gnassingbe protests were dispersed by police using tear gas and more than 100 people were arrested. At yesterday’s rally, which ended peacefully, Jean-Pierre Fabre, leader of the National Alliance for Change opposition party, called for Mr Gnassingbe’s resignation. Other opposition leaders called for civil disobedience.

“It’s a good thing for us women to observe this sex strike as long as our children are in jail now. I believe that by observing this, we will get them released,” Abla Tamekloe said.

But she added that she was not sure if her husband would accept it.

Journalist Ekoue Blame commented that it was easy for Ms Ameganvi to say because she was not married. “She does not live with a man at home.”