Gambia

Greetings

Men greeting Men – A handshake with the right hand is the most common form of greeting. Handshakes tend to linger a bit and may be accompanied with the touching of the forearm or upper arm Older men are supposed to lead the greetings with the younger men. But, the younger men are supposed greet the elder men with Asalaamalekum, and then let the elder lead the local greeting.

Women greeting Women - Verbal greetings tend to be the norm. A handshake with the right hand may be acceptable as well. The elder woman usually leads the greeting.

Greetings between Men and Women – Verbal greetings are the norm while avoiding direct eye contact. In some communities a woman kneels down to one knee and stands back up before responding to the elder male’s greeting. It is taboo for religiously observant Muslim men to touch women and vice-versa.

Note: Greetings are extremely important in Gambian culture and is the key to successful relationships at every level. Most people will be offended if you do not greet first before beginning a conversation even if you just want to ask a question. When greeting a group of people or someone from a distance, raising clasped hands will often take the place of a handshake as a gesture.

As a conservative Islamic country, the general greeting is the Arabic greeting, Salaamaleikum (Peace be unto to you), and one responds with Maleikumsalaam (and peace be also with you). When entering a compound/home, office, or room with a group of people always greet with this general greeting. When meeting an elder, greet s/he first with this greeting.

In the city, greetings are a bit more relaxed. One does not greet everyone they pass on the road like they would in a small rural village. When entering taxis, local restaurants, local shops us the general Arabic greeting. But in big supermarkets, stores, or tourist restaurants a simple, “Good morning/afternoon/evening, how is the day, how is work?” is just fine.

Children should never lead the greetings with someone older. They may do this to a foreigner as a joke, but this is very rude.

Communication Style

• Gambians tend to favor an indirect style of communication. It would be rare to find somebody who would directly ask for something without spending some time getting to the point. For example, if someone needs money, they will explain the situation and then tell you they are about to sell their only goat when what they really want is for you to volunteer the amount they need.
• When it comes to joking, Gambians tend to be direct. For example, if somebody is jokingly asking you for something, they will directly say “Give me your bicycle”, but if they are really in need of something, they will be indirect.
• Gambians are non-confrontational for the most part. Confronting someone directly will only deeply offend that person and make the problem even worse. Instead, Gambians find a third party, an intermediary, to help solve the problem.

• Gambians usually react with colorful sighs and gasps in reaction to happy or sad news. They repeat words or phrases a lot.

• Most all conversations begin with greetings. One asks about the family, the work, or a recent event. Then they go and talk about the weather, usually how brutally hot it is. During greetings no one goes into the truth about a certain difficulty one is having; that comes later in the conversation.

Personal Space & Touch

• A little less than an arm’s length of personal space is acceptable during conversations. This space tends to be greater between members of the opposite sex and less for friends and family.
• It is common to see men holding hands with other men while walking and talking. This is a sign of friendship
• Touching while talking is accepted for men with men and women with women, but between genders there is usually no touching and more personal space given.

• Men and women, husband and wives are rarely seen in public sitting next to each other, touching each other, or walking closely side by side. Intimacy is usually shown between members of the same sex.

• In offices or in the city, women and men’s interaction are a bit more relaxed.

Eye Contact

• When speaking to peers of the same sex, direct eye contact is acceptable
• When speaking to elders or people of authority, indirect eye contact is the most appropriate.
• In the rural areas, women, girls, and boys do not make direct eye contact with male elders. White women have honorary male status, so elder men may offer their hand to shake while greeting.

Gestures

• Circling the index fingers around in front of the chest indicates that you will return or do something later.
• Hissing, ie. saying "psssst", is common when trying to get someone’s attention, like a passerby or even a waiters in a restaurant.
• Burping after a meal is accepted as a positive sign that the food was good and enjoyed by the guest/customer.

• Clasp two hands together when acknowledging someone’s presence from afar.

• Pointing with the index finger is traditionally rude. Many people use their thumb or whole hand.

• When calling someone to come, people bend their fingers in toward themselves in a scratching motion.

• Always use your right hand to shake, eat or accept gifts. The left hand is used for cleaning oneself after using the ‘bathroom.’

Views of Time

• The runs on “In Shallah” time, or “god willing.” No one is truly expected to be on time.

• Public transport runs on its own schedule, so if you get a taxi after only fifteen to thirty minutes of waiting, you are in the right place at the right time.

• Social programs usually start two to four hours after their posted time. School children are routinely thirty minutes to an hour late to school.

• State business runs on approximate time, the higher ranking the visitor the later they are entitled to be.

• Business meetings at private organizations run on a “tighter” schedule than public institutions, perhaps an hour or less later than the posted time, depending on setbacks from travel or weather.

• Professionals tend to be more punctual in business situations.
• Often times Gambians joke that GMT stands for Gambia Maybe Time, or WAIT stands for West African International Time.

Gender Roles

• The roles of women in are slowly changing. Women are expected to be wives and mothers, but more and more women are also having careers.
• Girls’ education is a high priority of the current president, so most girls are now enrolled in school. However, is still very much a male-dominated society.

• In rural areas, women rarely drive, ride a bicycle, or go to groundnut fields. Women do not tell men what to do or defy a man’s instruction. Nonetheless, women’s social circles are vibrant and empowering to an extent. They have vegetable garden cooperatives and grassroots micro credit schemes.

• Men and women don’t typically socialize outside of their family.

• Unacceptable behavior for women would involve smoking, drinking, visiting non-relative males alone.
• Foreign women should dress conservatively and avoid very revealing or tight-fitting clothing. It's best to avoid short shorts or skimpy skirts as a woman's thighs are to a Gambian man what the breast is to most westerners.

• Foreign women are often seen as honorary men. They can eat and socialize with men, unlike Gambian women in rural areas. They can go to a mosque, but not go inside it.

• Gambian women will often give foreign women a hard time for not knowing how to cook, wash clothes by hand, or fetch water. But, this is part of the intense joking culture that persists here.

• Women must dress conservatively when outside the resort areas. Gambian women never show from their belly button to below their knees. Foreign women should do the same. Do not wear shorts or short tops, it is very, very rude and culturally insensitive.

Taboos

• Looking elders directly in the eyes and not greeting people properly are also rude.
• It is a serious insult to call somebody rude or accuse someone of stealing.
• The thumbs up sign is a rude gesture. If hitchhiking, people wave an arm at cars to stop.
• Asking too many personal questions can be seen as rude.

• Do not take pictures of any military personnel, they will most likely severely intimidate you and confiscate your camera.

Law & Order

• The legal drinking age is 18 and not heavily enforced. The is ninety-five percent Muslim and Islam prohibits alcohol consumption. As you move farther away from the coast it is almost exclusively Muslim. There are some ethnically Christian groups that harvest and sell palm wine and cashew liquor. There are numerous restaurants, bars, and clubs in the city and on the coast that tourists and Gambians frequent.

• The majority of men smoke all over the country. Islam does not allow women to smoke. Foreigners can smoke at the resorts and restaurants in the city, but should not smoke in public when venturing outside the city.

• Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines.

Dress

• For Men - Slacks with a buttoned down dress shirt. For businesses in the city most men wear suit and tie.
• For Women- For conducting business anywhere in the country, including the city, most women wear a komplet. This is a traditional outfit with some western influence that includes a top with short or long sleeves, an ankle length skirt, and a head tie. Komplets are colorful, intricately designed, sometimes with fancy and flashy fabric. Women also wear slacks with a blouse. In the city, many women wear a pant or skirt suit. Skirts and dresses should always be to the knees.

Titles & Business Cards

• Mr., Ms. and Madam are the most common titles used when meeting people in a business setting.
• When giving and receiving business cards, it is always advisable to do so with the right hand.

Meetings

• Meetings with local government officials and/or NGO employees begin when everyone gets there. If you show up on time, expect to wait an hour.
• It's proper to greet the entire room first. Then greet the highest ranking male or male elder and from there go around the room. As a woman, remember to verbally greet men, unless the man offers his hand.
• Small talk is expected; in fact it is part of the greeting. Go around and ask everyone about their morning, family, health, and work. Two to five minutes will suffice.
• Before the meeting begins the highest ranking male or male elder leads the group in an Islamic prayer. There also can be no one leading the prayer, whereby everyone attending prays silently. After prayer, the leader of the meeting welcomes all those attending in order of importance.
• Meetings here can last up to eight hours. Every one has something to say about everything. Usually it is mostly men at the meetings, so therefore they feel entitled and expected to offer their opinions about all matters on the agenda.
• Once the meeting is finished, it is closed with another Islamic prayer.

Negotiations

• Bargaining is a big part of the culture. In the markets, similar to flea markets in North America, you can find everything from fabric to vegetables, artwork to shoes, clothing to jewelry. In the city the markets are huge, while up country they vary in size.
• Gambians tend to hike up the prices when they see a foreigner. Most speak the local languages, but some speak English in and around the city. Bargaining is expected. Start really low and act like you really don’t care if you buy the item or not. Show emotion. If the vendor will not bring the price down to where you want it, then start to walk away. At this gesture the vendor will accept your last price.
• Sometimes the vendor won’t budge and let you walk away. At this point you have to decide if you really want the item. Bartering can take anywhere from two to ten minutes. Food prices are usually set.
• In the local small shops, called bitiks, all prices are set. In any indoor shop away from the market area, albeit clothing or food, all prices are set. One exception is the fabric and clothing indoor stores that are located on the fringes of an open air market.

In the Classroom

• The school year at most universities begins in September and ends in July.

• University students dress nicely and are generally well-groomed. They often wear western-style clothes, but will also wear African styles as well. Very revealing or tight-fitting clothing, such as short shorts or skimpy skirts would be unacceptable for women.

• The grading system at most universities is on 1-9 scale, with 1 being the highest. The pass/fail line is usually a 7 or 8.

• Lecture is the most common form of teaching.

Other Observations

• Visitors should dress nicely and modestly.
• Most Gambians do not expect tourists to know the greetings in the local language, but definitely appreciate it when foreigners do know some greetings in Wollof, Mandinka, or Pula
• Women must dress conservatively when outside the resort areas. Gambian women never show from their belly button to below their knees. Foreign women should do the same. Do not wear shorts or short tops, it is very, very rude and culturally insensitive.
• Sex tourism is a thriving industry here, whereby older European women come for relations with much younger Gambian men. The consequence of this is a lot of harassment of foreign women. There is the general expectation that white women are here only for sex or marriage.
• All over the country, but especially in popular tourist areas, bumsters, or young Gambian men whose job it is to make friends with foreigners, will harass you and try any means to get you to talk to them. Usually ignoring them is the best way to get rid of them. Sometimes sternly telling them to ‘go away, your not interested,’ works.
• Dress conservatively as a means to show that you are here to see the country and not here for sex. Overall, as a single female traveler expect harassment.