Fatoumata Z Coulibaly | February 25, 2026
News Brief
In Sébougou, near Ségou, Mali, midwife and community activist Fannata Dicko educates residents about contraceptive methods to combat misconceptions that harm women and girls. Using discussion groups, home visits, radio programs, social media, and visual tools, she shares scientifically validated information. Her participatory approach helps women make informed choices, protecting health and preventing early or unwanted pregnancies. Regional experts highlight the importance of consulting qualified professionals, noting that many fears around contraception are based on misinformation and isolated cases of side effects.
It is 5:00 p.m. in the rural commune of Sébougou, located about 14 kilometers from Ségou, Mali. Residents are returning from work. At the center of a group of people, Fannata Dicko, a midwife by profession and a community activist, stands holding a flipchart box containing explanations about different contraceptive methods. The discussion sparks interest and draws the attention of passersby. She says, “Misconceptions surrounding contraceptive methods harm many women and young girls here.”
Ms. Dicko decided to share reliable and accessible information to educate and raise awareness in her community on this issue.
Ms. Dicko is a young woman who has been engaged in community health work for more than five years. She explains that rumors, religious interpretations, fear of infertility, and misinformation are barriers to women’s sexual and reproductive fulfillment. She says, “Some people wrongly claim that contraception poisons the blood and often causes infertility.”
Ms. Dicko explains that her awareness-raising approach is both educational and participatory. In neighborhoods across Ségou, she engages in discussions, takes time to listen to concerns, and responds to questions. She explains, “Some women ask me whether contraception is reserved for married women, whether it causes infertility, or whether it goes against religion.”
To challenge these misconceptions, Ms. Dicko relies on validated scientific data and on the training she received from organizations such as the Association of Youth for Active Citizenship and Governance (AJCAD), NGO JIGIYA, and Population Services International (PSI-Mali).
Ms. Dicko uses several tools to reach her audience. She organizes discussion groups, home visits, radio programs, and publishes content and short videos in national languages on social media. She also uses the “Image Box,” a visual tool that helps explain how the human body works without taboo to young people and women.
The impact of Ms. Dicko’s community awareness efforts is evident through community testimonies and tangible changes on the ground. She emphasizes that contraception is not an encouragement to promiscuity, but rather a means of protecting the health and future of girls and women. Openly discussing reproductive health, she says, is essential to breaking harmful taboos and empowering informed choices.
Alima Coulibaly is a young student who participates in Ms. Dicko’s awareness sessions. She says: “When I chose to use contraceptive methods, some of my friends discouraged me, claiming they disrupt menstruation and encourage fornication in young girls.” But Ms. Dicko’s community awareness efforts on contraceptive methods convinced Ms. Coulibaly that these are false misconceptions. She concludes: “Today, I was able to choose a method that suits my body.”
Oumar Konaté, regional supervisor for gender, advocacy, and communication at the Association for Supporting the Development of Population Activities (ASDAP) in Ségou, explains that many misconceptions about contraceptive methods are false and lack scientific basis. He notes that those who spread such claims often do so without accurate information, frequently generalizing from isolated cases of side effects. He emphasizes the importance of consulting qualified health professionals to receive accurate guidance and to choose a contraceptive method that is appropriate for one’s body and health needs.
Ms. Dicko’s community awareness work has helped enlighten many young girls and women in her community about rumors and false beliefs surrounding contraceptive methods. She explains that her efforts have helped save girls and women from early or unwanted pregnancies, which are often responsible for maternal mortality.
Ms. Dicko maintains that it is crucial to communicate in order to dismantle false ideas about contraceptive methods, especially among young people, to support their well-being. She concludes: “I know this is a long-term struggle, but the results on the ground motivate me to persevere, because raising awareness on this issue means breaking a taboo that saves lives.”
This resource was produced through the “HÉRÈ – Women’s Well-Being in Mali” initiative, which aims to improve the sexual and reproductive health well-being of women and girls and to strengthen the prevention of and response to gender-based violence in Sikasso, Ségou, Mopti, and the district of Bamako in Mali. The project is implemented by the HÉRÈ – MSI Mali Consortium, in partnership with Farm Radio International (RRI) and Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF) with funding from Global Affairs Canada.