ABUJA, Nigeria, 12 April 2021 – Leading women’s rights organizations in Mali have jointly filed a case at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice in Abuja, Nigeria, to challenge Mali’s failure to prohibit Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) by adopting a legal and policy framework that would criminalize the practice. Currently, there is no legislation that addresses FGM, leaving women and girls without recourse or protection from this human rights violation.

The case, which was filed on 6 April 2021 by Association Malienne pour le Suivi et l’Orientation des Pratiques Traditionnelles -AMSOPT and Association pour le Progrès et la Défense des Droits des Femmes au Mali – APDF [represented by IHRDA and Equality Now], seeks to hold the Government of Mali to account on its failure to protect Malian girls and women from FGM.

See full press release below: