Photograph of Adame and Kadi supplied by Rights of Girls, Mali 2015
‘En tant que femme et en tant qu’activiste je continuerais tout au long de ma vie à mener ce combat pour la promotion et la protection des droits en général et spécifiquement les droits des femmes. Peut-être a mon âge beaucoup sont déjà grand mère et même arrière grand mère puisqu’au Mali on se mari a partir de 15 ans, a l’âge de 30 ans déjà on est grand mère et a 45 ans on est arrière grand mère. Mais malgré tout ça, moi je continue à me battre jusqu’à mon dernier souffle si Dieu me prête longue vie. C’est le but de ma vie, j’ai réussie ma vie de famille, j’ai fais des etudes et mes enfants aussi se sont mariés. C’est le but même de ma vie, lutter pour le droit des femmes jusqu’à ce qu’on aille vers une loi interdisant l’excision, toutes les violations contre les femmes, le mariage précoce, le tabou nutritionnel, les violences basées sur le genre en général et beaucoup d’autres choses qui existent au Mali qui ne sont normales en ce temps ci. Ces pratiques ne doivent pas exister. Merci’
– Adame, Mali 2015
ENGLISH
‘As a woman and as an activist I will continue all my life long to lead this combat for the promotion and the protection of rights in general and mainly women’s rights. May be at my age many women are already grand mother and even great grand mother as in Mali the marriage age for a girl is from 15 years and already at 30 she is grand mother and at 45 she is great grand mother. Despite this I continue to fight till the end of my life if God allows it. This is the goal of my life, I have managed my family life, I studied, and also my children get married. The main goal of my life is to fight for women rights till we have in Mali a low forbidding FGM, all the violations against women, early marriage, nutritionnal taboo, violence based on gender in general and many other things that exist here but not normal in our days. These practices must not exist. Thank you’
– Adame, Mali 2015
‘This year three million very young girls will suffer lifetime damage through ‘cutting’ – shockingly painful removal of parts of their genitals. “The Rights of Girls Initiative Ltd” was started after I returned from volunteering at a number of schools and medical clinics in Africa in 2012. Like most people I had heard about female genital circumcision but had no idea of the horror of what was really involved. In Africa it is estimated that 86 per cent of young girls will be ‘cut’. Why? So that when they marry, their family can be paid a bride price…generally a farm animal. Having paid, the new husband has the right to cut open his bride on their wedding night so they can have sex.”
– Toni Fitzgerald
Director -The Rights of Girls Initiative Ltd Australia
www.rightsofgirls.com
“Female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C) includes all surgical interventions consisting of totally or partially removal of external genitalia of girl/woman or cause to the genitalia other damage for cultural or other reasons nontherapeutic. In Mali, this practice became cultural and religious. Commonly called “Excision” it is strongly practiced by communities since immemorial times. By its extent and its consequences on the health and integrity of women, FGM in Mali constitutes a real public health problem.
Let’s fight together for the abandonment of this abominable practice and make communities know and believe that:
- FGM is harmful to girls/women health;
- It is not a religious requirement;
- We must not remove that God has given;
- Girl/woman must keep her entire body;
- And if God gave this organ, this means that it has a specific function in the operation of woman’s body.”
Kadiatou TANGARA
Co-ordinator: Africa
The Rights of Girls Initiative Ltd, Australia
“Changing lives…one goat, one girl at a time”
Tel: +223 76338485/63623284
web: www.rightsofgirls.com
email: RightsofGirlsAfrica@gmail.com
In association with Promotion of Women of Sabalibougou (PROFESAB)
Hamdallaye ACI 2000, PO Box 38 Bamako, Mali. West Africa