The HSRC invites you to join our seminar on policy reforms on women’s rights in Mali. The 2009 reform of Mali’s Persons and Family Code marked a milestone in the country’s fight for gender equality. Proposed by President Amadou Toumani Touré, the reform aimed to align national law with international commitments on gender equality to reduce legal disparities between men and women in marriage, inheritance, and family life. Before it was approved by parliament, the reform sparked mass protests led by Islamic associations, who claimed the code conflicted with Mali’s cultural and religious norms.

Under pressure, the government revised the draft in 2011, thereby weakening the key provisions intended to improve women’s legal status. Over a decade later, women’s rights are still contested. Additionally, the proposed bill to address gender-based violence (GBV) remains blocked by influential religious leaders. Meanwhile, feminicide, female genital mutilation, child marriage, domestic violence, and conflict-related sexual violence continue as critical yet underestimated forms of GBV.

The ongoing presence of these practices underscores serious gaps in Mali’s gender governance and protection systems, which are further weakened by insecurity. This webinar aims to evaluate the progress and challenges in the fight for women’s rights and gender equality in Mali. Specifically, the presentation will review women’s rights in Mali from 2009 to the present, focusing on: (1) the relationship between legal reforms, religious authority, and socio-cultural norms; (2) the effects of the 2012 crisis on gender governance; and (3) the governance failures highlighted by the rise and ongoing presence of various forms of GBV.

Event Date: 27 March 2026

Event Time: 11:00 –12:00

Venue: Online

Registration link: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/hJdsTbK1RX6uqPdHSiGYeA  

Event enquiries: cachu@hsrc.ac.za