Mali: One Man's Quest to End Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Mali
[IPS] United Nations -- After years of defending FGM as a cultural practice, Sidi Haidara came to a realization: No tradition should come at the expense of a girl's health, rights, or future.
In Mali, Sidi Haidara, a father and respected community leader, has embarked on a personal journey to combat female genital mutilation (FGM). For years, he defended the practice as a deeply ingrained cultural tradition. However, after participating in training sessions and community dialogues organized by UN Women with support from the German government, his perspective began to shift.
Realizing that no tradition should come at the expense of a girl's health, rights, or future, Haidara now advocates for the abandonment of FGM. He emphasizes that lasting change is achieved through dialogue, trust, and community ownership. Haidara actively organizes awareness-raising sessions with families, religious leaders, young people, and women, encouraging conversations that challenge long-held beliefs about FGM.
As a result, parents are questioning the practice, families are abandoning it, and discussions about protecting girls are becoming more open. Haidara believes that protecting girls today is an investment in the future of their communities.
Written by urgent.news from AllAfrica Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
