Mali: One Man's Quest to End Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Mali

What the report says

At the United Nations, a feature published via AllAfrica and attributed to Inter Press Service focuses on Sidi Haidara, a community leader in central Mali who has shifted from defending female genital mutilation to campaigning against it. The report says his change of position came after training sessions, workshops and community dialogues connected to UN Women’s Men and Boys as Agents of Change project, with financial support from the Government of Germany.

According to the article, Haidara now travels from village to village in Mopti, Mali, leading discussions with families, religious leaders, young people and women about the health, psychological and social harms of FGM. The piece places his work in a wider national context, noting that Mali is among the countries in West and Central Africa with some of the highest rates of FGM and that the practice is not specifically criminalized under Malian law.

The report also describes broader UN Women-backed efforts in the Mopti and Gao regions, including 50 community initiatives and eight dialogue platforms aimed at preventing violence against women and girls and challenging harmful social norms. It says change is being driven by trusted local voices rather than by law alone, and that some families are beginning to question or abandon the practice.

The article frames Haidara’s experience as part of a longer community-led shift: one that links girls’ protection to education, health and future opportunities, while emphasizing that lasting change in deeply rooted traditions often depends on conversation and local ownership.