Conflict Response Fund in Mali
The situation in Mali
Mali, a Sahel country in West Africa, is home to nearly 21 million people.
Terrorism, armed conflict, droughts and political instability have created a dire humanitarian crisis. Poverty affects half of the population, with high unemployment rates in rural areas, particularly impacting women and girls.
Based on the 2020 Gender Inequality Index, Mali holds the 184th position globally. The prevalence of gender-based violence and female genital mutilation persists throughout the nation, with many women facing barriers to justice due to societal pressures and a lack of awareness about their rights.
As a consequence of the conflict, forced marriages were widespread, often serving as a cover for kidnappings and sexual violence. Survivors endure physical and psychological trauma but suffer in silence due to distrust in institutions, fear of reprisals, and community stigmatisation. The security crisis since 2012 has led to the displacement of civilians, including women and unaccompanied children, who face challenges in securing shelter, food insecurity and the risk of violence.
To provide immediate assistance to the women and girls affected by conflict, Women for Women International established our Conflict Response Fund in Mali to partner with local organisations. Through our partnerships, we are providing support and resources to help women overcome the challenges they are facing.
Our Conflict Response Fund Partners
Yam Gitibolo Tumo (YA-G-TU)
The Yam Gitibolo Tumo (YA-G-TU) works toward achieving peace and social justice for women and children, focussing on their rights, social, political and economic improvement.
Women for Women International has partnered with Yam Gitibolo Tumo to support the economic resilience and recovery of internally displaced women and girls and their host communities in the Bandiagara region that are affected by conflict.
Through our partnership, internally displaced families experiencing food insecurity are receiving food assistance. Displaced women and young girls are also being trained in income-generating activities. They are also being provided with psychosocial care services and financial support to cover medical costs and the costs of judicial procedures for survivors of Violence Against Women (VAW).
Survivors of VAW are receiving support through the holistic management of VAW cases in the district of Koro, Bankass and Badiagara, providing social development, health and local services for women, children, families and NGO partners operating in the same field.
Femmes et Développement (FEDE)
We are working with Femmes et Développement (Women and Development) to address the needs of women in Mali’s Mopti region, including Mopti circle, Soucoura and Sio communes.
Through our partnership, we aim to meet their needs by providing emergency food aid, resilience support and cash distribution for these women to purchase gardening kits, small ruminants and poultry. We are also organising activities to combat the stigma surrounding psychological distress and mental health among VAW survivors. These activities will also engage and involve local stakeholders in addition to the women we are serving.
Association Malienne pour le Suivi et l'Orientation des Pratiques Traditionnelles (AMSOPT)
We are partnering with Association Malienne pour le Suivi et l'Orientation des Pratiques Traditionnelles (The Malian Association for the Monitoring and Orientation of Traditional Practices) to combat food insecurity and promote the elimination of VAW among internally displaced women in Mali. In conjunction with AMSOPT, we are focused on serving women and girls in Bamako, where thousands of internally displaced people are located, as well as in Mopti, the capital of the central Mali region.
Our partnership involves several activities. First, a rapid assessment of specific food needs for beneficiaries will be conducted. We are also supporting the organisation of a workshop and accountability committees with a focus on revitalising the communities where internally displaced persons are seeking asylum.
In partnership with AMSOPT, we are also participating in food distribution and purchasing for the beneficiaries. Community actors and leaders, including chiefs, religious leaders, elected officials, and technical service providers are being trained to become advocates and supporters in preventing and responding to VAW in their communities.
To address the needs of women and girls, dignity kits containing essential items such as body soap, sanitary napkins, women’s underwear, combs, toothbrushes, and flashlights will be purchased and distributed. Our partners are also carrying out awareness activities to provide training on interventions for VAW.
Set up a monthly donation
Your monthly donation will help provide women living in some of the world's most dangerous places with the social and economic skills to transform their lives. They will pass on this knowledge to those around them, helping other women realise their power.
Learn more
Conflict Response Fund
subtitle: In 2018, we launched a new conflict response fund — a separate funding pool to more rapidly help women who are caught in the current horrors of our time. To reach women in their most critical moments, we work with partners who can respond to conflict and
In 2018, we launched a new conflict response fund — a separate funding pool to more rapidly help women who are caught in the current horrors of our time. To reach women in their most critical moments, we work with partners who can respond to conflict and make an immediate impact.
Where we work
subtitle:
Learn more about the conflict-affected countries where we work around the world. Since our origins in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we have expanded and adapted our programmes to support 579,287 women living in some of the world’s most challenging environments.
Why women in conflict
subtitle:
When war and insecurity take hold, women bear the heaviest burden of violence, poverty and inequality. Learn more about why supporting women survivors of war is so important.