Women are responsible for all of the household work and are the primary caretakers of the children. They also milk the cows, which not only provides the family with dairy products, but by selling the products women earn extra income which they control. Young boys herd calves and small stock. All children attend school, although girls usually withdraw after about six years. Baggara dress symbolizes a person's importance.
Most men wear a large cotton garment called a boubou .
Prominent men wear either white or blue turbans, with the size of the turban indicating the importance of the man. These cases contain verses from the holy Koran. Married women wear veils covering their shoulders and upper bodies, plus head kerchiefs wrapped like turbans. The women wear numerous anklets, bracelets, and necklaces as well as a series of earrings outlining the entire earlobe. Almost any occasion the arrival of a visitor, unexpected good fortune, or someone returning from a trip is an excuse for a communal feast.