By Ebrima Sillah BBC, Dakar

Hawa says whatever a man can do, a woman can do just as well

But after becoming the country's first female taxi driver, she urges other women not to stay at home, relying on men to feed the family.

"There is dignity in labour - you don't have to worry much about what other people say about you, so long as the job you are doing brings you food on your plate."

After spending more than 10 years in Ivory Coast, Hawa had to leave her lucrative job as a French teacher in a private school due to political instability and attacks on foreigners, seen as sympathising with northern rebels.

Since she arrived back in Dakar two year ago, Hawa has been looking around for a decent job but could not get one.

After consultation with her family, she bought a car and became a taxi-driver, saying: "People need to move".

'Work is work'

Hawa says the first two days were difficult because most passengers thought she was driving the taxi for pleasure.

"But after one week, people started getting used to my face and sometimes when I pick up passengers, especially men, they say: 'Hi, woman taxi driver, how are you doing today?'

"Inside me, I feel uncomfortable about such statements, but I just laugh them off and continue working."

I keep honking my car horn and they move on Hawa Sy

While most Senegalese see nothing wrong with having a female taxi driver, some in this largely Muslim country say they should not be allowed.

Unsurprisingly, Hawa strongly disagrees: "I don't want to hear such talk - work is work".

As in many other African cities, driving in Dakar can sometimes be challenging, with taxi-drivers desperate for a fare stopping in the middle of the road to pick up passengers.

"Sometimes I feel very angry because you see some of my taxi driver colleagues stopping right in the middle of the road bargaining with the customers blocking the traffic.

"But what I do is I keep honking my car horn and they move on."

'Little money'

In addition there is the problem of security.

Hawa says she never works later than around 1930 because "as a woman you know robbers can attack you and rob you of entire day's work... so therefore I have no choice but to close early and spend some quality time with my family."

Hawa says she is still looking for an ideal job but for the time being, she will continue driving her taxi as a means of survival because "Whatever a man can do, a woman can also do".

One complaint she shares with her male colleagues is the insistence of all Senegalese on bargaining on a fare before entering the taxi, rather than using the meter.