A coordinated social media campaign defending female genital mutilation (FGM) emerged in Mali this August, reigniting societal debates not just about women’s bodily integrity, but also about tradition and national sovereignty.
Days after a national non-governmental organisation displayed posters in Bamako denouncing the practice, anonymous online accounts began posting images that reversed the ‘no more’ campaign’s message. Men of various backgrounds are portrayed smiling or with thumbs up, surrounded by the national colours and the message: ‘In Mali, yes to excision! Let’s protect girls and build their future.’
The slogan turns the protection argument on its head in a country where cutting out parts of young girls’ genitals, often without anaesthesia and at the risk of deadly complications, remains commonplace. A 2023 study estimated that FGM caused roughly 44,000 excess deaths a year across 15 African countries, including Mali. This makes it a leading cause of death for girls and young women where it is practised.
For those who survive, the consequences are dire and both immediate and long-term. They include severe pain and bleeding, infection and emotional shock at the time of cutting. Throughout life, they manifest through chronic pain, urinary and menstrual complications, a greater risk of difficult childbirth, and lasting psychological trauma.
