COUNTRY PROFILE: FGM IN MALI SEPTEMBER 2014 Registered Charity : No. 1150379 Limited Company: No. 08122211 E-mail: [email protected] © 28 Too Many 2014 CONTENTS FOREWORD 5 BACKGROUND 7 PURPOSE 7 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 7 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 8 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 9 INTRODUCTION 12 NATIONAL STATISTICS 15 POLITICAL BACKGROUND 17 ANTHROPOLOGICAL BACKGROUND 19 OVERVIEW OF FGM PRACTICES IN MALI 27 COUNTRYWIDE TABOOS AND MORES 34 SOCIOLOGICAL BACKGROUND 35 HEALTHCARE SYSTEM 38 WOMEN’S HEALTH AND INFANT MORTALITY 39 EDUCATION 44 RELIGION 48 MEDIA 51 ATTITUDES AND KNOWLEDGE RELATING TO FGM 52 LAWS RELATING TO FGM 60 INTERVENTIONS AND ATTEMPTS TO ERADICATE FGM 63 INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS 68 NATIONAL AND LOCAL ORGANISATIONS 71 CHALLENGES FACED BY ANTI-FGM INITIATIVES 76 CONCLUSIONS 77 APPENDIX I - LIST OF INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL ORGANISATIONS CONTRIBUTING TO DEVELOPMENT GOALS AND WOMEN’S AND CHILDREN’S RIGHTS IN MALI 80 APPENDIX II - REFERENCES 81 PAGE | 4 FOREWORD 73% of girls in Mali have FGM at age five years or younger and the age of cutting is decreasing. In September 1995 the 4th UN Conference on There also seems to be a worrying trend that some Women held in Beijing noted a ‘lack of adequate women without FGM have had their daughters cut, documentation and research on violence against and 38% of these are ‘sewn closed’ (Type III). There women and girls (VAWAG) (D.120)’. Since I began is no Malian law specifically criminalising FGM; a humanitarian aid work in 2001 and anti-female major challenge is that 69.5% (men) and 76.0% genital mutilation (FGM) work in 2005 that has (women) felt no benefits of NOT performing FGM, been my experience and the reason for founding seeing it as a cultural practice that is traditionally 28 Too Many. The charity addresses the Beijing justified. Platform for Action’s goals of ‘promoting research, collecting data, compiling statistics and promoting FGM is ‘known about’ by over 98% of men research into the causes, nature, seriousness and and women, and yet patriarchy gives authority consequences of VAWG’, particularly redressing to older men and women over younger women the lack of research relating to FGM. As we join who cannot question the ‘authority of wisdom or with the Inter-African Committee and others at age’ and have little voice to stand against FGM. the UN in Geneva in November, we see progress in Older women also feel resentment to men’s the field of knowledge sharing, yet more research involvement in anti-FGM work as it reduces their is needed, as is more sustainable funding. already limited authority. It is against this backdrop that we know in FGM has serious immediate and long term excess of 125 million women and girls alive today physical consequences, with 52% of Malian have experienced FGM, with 3 million predicted women who suffered a complication from FGM to be affected in this next year – one girl being cut suffering a haemorrhage. 34% of Mali’s maternal every ten seconds. Whilst 28 Too Many’s initial deaths are due to haemorrhage. Higher neonatal focus is the 28 countries in Africa where certain death, maternal death and fistula (incontinence) communities still practise FGM, increasingly often follow FGM, which can also be linked with knowledge is also coming from Middle Eastern child marriage. In Mali, child marriage can happen and Asian countries that FGM is prevalent and from age ten. growing. International migration also means FGM affects diaspora communities across all continents, FGM in Mali is performed for complex reasons, as the practice is maintained on re-settlement. entrenched with historical diversity, including caste, ethnicity and age. I have visited twelve This Country Profile shows that FGM in Mali has countries where FGM is practised in Africa, in not decreased in prevalence in the last 20 years. addition to diaspora communities across the The estimated prevalence of FGM in women world, and I have heard the stories of over two and girls (15-49 years) in 2013 was 91.4%. This is thousand survivors, not one of whom was pleased reported as an increase from 85.2% in 2006 but the she was cut. This is what gave me the passion to 2013 survey did not include three northern regions become involved in the campaign to help end and, when adjusted for a direct comparison, the FGM. prevalence rate is not significantly different at 92.0% in 2006 and 91.4% in 2013. The prevalence There is, however, some hope as shared by our rate by faith shows a Muslim rate of 92.8% and in country researcher, and we are encouraged Christian rate of 65.2%. Over 60% perceive FGM by the meetings she has had with a number of as a religious requirement, although it is not a organisations in Mali who are seeing progress requirement of either faith. tackling FGM locally. Successful interventions reflect the specific context of each community, PAGE | 5 and a good example is using Griots (traditional Case Study of Community FGM storytellers) to take anti-FGM messages to Abandonment communities where literacy rates are low. The The NGO Sini Sanuman has worked with nine villages case study below also shows the good work of in Mali to facilitate complete abandonment of FGM. NGO Sini Sanuman, where nine villages signed a The declaration made by the first village (Moussala) community declaration against FGM in 2005. was signed on 12 March 2005 by the people whose authority is recognised in the community. The As the impact of the unrest in 2011-13 settles, I declaration read: look forward to seeing further progress and talking ‘We, the women and men of Moussala, in Kalabancoro, with activists in my forthcoming visit. circle of Kati, Mali, have taken the decision to never again excise girls in our village. We have seen that there are many drawbacks and no advantages to this practice. Our girls don’t deserve this traumatizing Dr Ann-Marie Wilson and degrading experience and they have the right to 28 Too Many Executive Director their whole bodies. This decision has been taken for the health and well-being of our girls, the women of tomorrow. We encourage every Malian to take this same decision, individually and collectively, so that excision will disappear from Mali.’ This declaration was signed by: President of the women of Moussala (Djénéba Traoré) ‘We will mobilize all our women for our well-being.’ Wife of the Imam of Moussala (Madina Doumbia) ‘I will call on the Imam to preach and convince the men.’ Village chief of Moussala (Fasoko Samaké) ‘I will make sure that the end of excision in my village is total.’ President of the Committee of Moussala (Bréhima Traoré) ‘I will spread the message to the whole village and surrounding area to safeguard our women.’ Fig. 1: Grand Boubou signing a certificate, 2014 (Sini Sanuman) PAGE | 6 BACKGROUND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 28 Too Many is an anti-female genital mutilation 28 Too Many is extremely grateful to all the (FGM) charity, created to end FGM in the 28 FGM practising communities, local NGOs, CBOs, African countries where it is practised and in FBOs and international organisations who have other countries across the world where members assisted us in accessing information to produce of those communities have migrated. Founded this Country Profile. We thank you, as it would not in 2010, and registered as a charity in 2012, 28 have been possible without your assistance and Too Many aims to provide a strategic framework, collaboration. 28 Too Many carried out all its work where knowledge and tools enable in-country as a result of donations, and is an independent anti-FGM campaigners and organisations to be objective voice unaffiliated with any government successful and make a sustainable change to or large organisation. That said, we are grateful end FGM. We hope to build an information base, to the many organisations that have supported including the provision of detailed Country Profiles us so far on our journey and the donations that for each country practising FGM in Africa and the enabled this Country Profile to be produced. diaspora. Our objective is to develop a network of For more information, please contact us on anti-FGM organisations to share knowledge, skills [email protected]. and resources. We also campaign and advocate locally and internationally to bring change and to THE TEAM support community programmes to end FGM. Producing a Country Profile such as this is a collaborative process. We are grateful to the PURPOSE following key contributors: The prime purpose of this Country Profile is Katherine Allen is Lead Editor and a Research to provide improved understanding of the issues Intern for 28 Too Many. She is a DPhil (PhD) relating to FGM in the wider framework of gender student in the history of medicine at the University equality and social change. By collating the of Oxford. research to date, this Country Profile can act as Hilary Campbell is a Research Volunteer for 28 a benchmark to reflect the current situation. As Too Many. She works as a Bike It Plus officer for organisations continue to send us their findings, Sustrans, running projects to get children cycling reports, tools and models of change, we can update to school. these reports and show where progress is being made. Whilst there are numerous challenges to Winnie Cheung is a Research Volunteer for 28 overcome before FGM is eradicated in Mali, many Too Many. She is an undergraduate finalist at programmes are making positive active change. University College London studying History. Amy Hurn is Research Project Manager for 28 Too USE OF THIS COUNTRY PROFILE Many. She has an MSc in Transport Planning and Extracts from this publication may be freely Management.