Fatimata Touré

Fatimata Touré is a Malian women's rights activist and community leader from Gao, Mali. She is the founder and director of the Groupe de Recherche, d'Étude, de Formation Femme-Action (GREFFA), which works to protect the rights of women and children and support survivors of gender-based violence. During the occupation of northern Mali, she helped victims of rape and forced marriage obtain medical, psychological and other assistance. She received the International Women of Courage Award in 2014. Quotes At the beginning, I was motivated by the situation of poverty all around me, especially for the young girls who did not seem to have the right to stay in school, to get health care, to plan anything for the future. My father always insisted that I study, that his children go to school. IntraHealth International I was never really afraid, and never considering leaving Gao. Even when my family put pressure on me, deep inside I felt that I should not leave. It is not my nature to be afraid. IntraHealth International That is a difficult question. What I know is that it will. For one thing, the schools are not yet fully functional, and we’re worried about that. And there are the women who were raped. Some of them had children after being raped. We helped take care of these women. We tried to help them become more resilient, through counseling and by connecting them to income-generating activities. IntraHealth International Tenez bon. You must stay strong. Be courageous and don’t let your enemies win. I hope that I can go back to Gao with this award and show the young women there that they, too, can succeed. IntraHealth International The Council should remember me as a living witness to the events that took place from 1990 to the present day. It is with deep emotion that I testify. United Nations Security Council Why is it necessary to deploy a peacekeeping mission in the northern regions of Mali? A peacekeeping mission is imperative because of the resurgence of rebellion, because the Malian State is incapable of ensuring the safety of its population and property, and because the conflict runs the risk of unleashing national implosion and subregional, perhaps even international destabilization. United Nations Security Council For me, courage means commitment, determination and conviction to make a change. U.S. Department of State External links Category:living people Category:Women's rights activists Category:Human rights activists Category:Women activists from Mali