Issa Togola | February 14, 2025
News Brief
In Doumba, a village near Koulikoro, Mali, Diayara Diarra, shares her painful experience of female genital mutilation with local women at an awareness meeting. She has experienced years of infections, pain during intercourse, and complications during childbirth due to female genital mutilation, or FGM. But after attending an awareness session herself, she sought medical care and now Mrs. Diarra's health and marriage have significantly improved. She shares her story to help other women in her community access support services.
It is 4 p.m., and the sun is about to set in Doumba, a Malian village about 20 kilometres from the city of Koulikoro in the south of the country. In this village of a few thousand inhabitants, daily life is shaped by traditional practices, while the need for basic social services remains a challenge. And on this Friday evening, while the other women in her family tend to their evening household chores, Diayara Diarra, a woman in her forties, hurries to attend an awareness meeting on female genital mutilation.
Mrs. Diarra explains that she was a victim of excision at a young age due to traditional practices. She explains that female genital mutilation is performed to an effort to reduce a girl’s sexual desires, which, according to beliefs, should help her abstain from sexual relations before marriage. But, unfortunately for Mrs. Diarra, as is the case for many other women, this practice caused infections in her genital area and complicated her sexual life after she got married.
She explains she felt pain during intercourse, menstruation, and her childbirths were especially agonizing. Following her most recent childbirth, she also suffered from a prolapse. She adds that she endured this pain for several years, unaware that it was a direct consequence of female genital mutilation, or FGM.
Mrs. Diarra says that this had a negative impact on her marriage. She says, “There was almost no intimacy between my husband and me because of my pain.”
Mrs. Diarra explains that her turning point came when she attended a workshop organized by the regional directorate for the promotion of women, children, and families in Koulikoro. The session focused on sexual and reproductive health and provided her with crucial information about excision and its harmful consequences. Motivated by what she learned, she sought medical attention at a hospital, where tests revealed the extent of her condition. She was referred to the Malian Association for the Monitoring and Guidance of Traditional Practices, which fully covers FGM survivors’ health care and supports them psychologically, materially, and financially.
After her needs were assessed, Mrs. Diarra was prescribed medical care to treat her infections and alleviate her pain. Following this initial treatment, she continued to receive regular follow-up care. As a result, Mrs. Diarra’s health significantly improved, and she no longer suffers from infections.
Mrs. Diarra says that her treatment has brought a positive change to her marital life. She has healed from the effects of excision and regained a normal sexual life. She says, “My husband and I have become closer. I am able to fulfill my duties as a woman and take care of my children.”
Dr. Salimata Coulibaly is a gynecologist-obstetrician at the reference health center of Commune V in Bamako. She says that excision can have severe consequences on the health of women and girls. She explains that excision can lead to urinary retention, hemorrhages, complications during childbirth, and can significantly affect sexual health, causing pain during intercourse, as experienced by Mrs. Diarra. In some cases, the consequences of excision can be life-threatening, even leading to death.
Dr. Coulibaly says that excision is a widespread practice in Mali, with significant consequences for the health and well-being of women and girls. However, she emphasizes that there are solutions available to address these issues, such as reconstructive surgery. Depending on the type and severity of the complications, medical treatment can also help alleviate the effects of excision. But she regrets that the lack of financial resources, information, and awareness, especially in rural areas, remains a challenge for many women. This, she explains, is why these types of treatments are rarely available, despite the very high number of women affected by these practices.
Mali does not have laws banning excision. According to UNICEF’s 2022 report, nearly 8 million girls and women have undergone female genital mutilation in Mali. Nationally, this represents 89% of girls and women aged 15 to 49.
Soumaila Moro is a sexual and reproductive health expert. He believes the solution lies in increasing awareness campaigns about the consequences of excision, as well as advocacy at the community and institutional levels, and with technical and financial partners.
For several years, Mrs. Diarra has experienced a significant transformation in her life, marked by improved health, stronger relationships, and a renewed sense of well-being with her husband. She actively participates in awareness campaigns for women in Doumba and surrounding villages. Through these efforts, she shares her personal experience with others and guides those affected by excision to appropriate support services.
This resource has been produced thanks to the “HÉRÈ – Bien-être des femmes au Mali” initiative, which aims to improve the well-being of women and girls in terms of sexual and reproductive health, and to strengthen the prevention of and response to gender-based violence in the regions of Sikasso, Ségou, Mopti and the district of Bamako in Mali. The project is being implemented by the HÉRÈ – MSI Mali Consortium, in partnership with Radios Rurales Internationales (RRI) and Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF), with funding from Global Affairs Canada.