Using observations from translation theorists such as George Steiner, this article questions whether women's education in Senegal and separate male/female pools of communication have resulted in the development of distinct forms of writing. It examines extracts from texts by female Senegalese writers such as Mariama Bâ, Awa Ndiaye, and Ndeye Coumba Mbengue Diakhate in light of cultural and linguistic research, exploring the ways in which we can apply knowledge of Senegalese societies to our understanding of a text in pre-translation analysis. Along with extracts from both published and unpublished, new translations, the article also explores the way in which a translator may use research such as this to inform the translation process