Togo

Togo History

German missionaries started arriving in the region in 1847, and in 1885 established a protectorate of Togoland (which included the whole of modern-day Togo and parts of Ghana). Establishing plantations, the Germans ran a “model colony” in which they managed to develop many crops, recruiting many members of the Ewe tribe. Although Togoland was an economic success, the plantation lifestyle caused the separation of many families when men had to work on cotton, rubber, or cocoa plantations and women were left in villages to raise the children.

Captured from the Germans in World War I, Togoland was a divided country. The French mandated territory became Togo, and gained its independence in 1960. The French had built up some of the infrastructure of the country, including a health care system, although this was largely for the Europeans and local elite. After independence, the new government in Togo was able to extend the medical and midwifery services to many parts of the countryside. [Page 1212]This was enhanced with wealth from the phosphate mines during the late 1970s.

Under the rule of Éenne (Gnassingbé) Eyadéma, who was president from 1967 until his death in 2005, much propaganda was focused on the better social conditions for people in Togo. The Togolese Boy Scouts and Girl Guides have also been heavily involved in promoting government-inspired campaigns for better health care, but how successful this has been is disputed.

For many, the traditional village life of tribal elders and extended family members has largely remained unchanged, with many women combining their efforts to look after children, prepare food, and tend crops. In 2005, the gender parity index for primary school graduation was 0.73. In 2006, the employment-to-population ratio of women age 15 or older in Togo was 45.7 percent, as compared to 81.1 percent for men. Many women are also involved in running market stalls, with few women having managed to embark on an independent career, although many urban women have been able to find work as domestics or in the emerging textile industry.

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