A woman from the medical profession was hit by a man of a rank whose blows caused the poor lady to lose a tooth. The information has been circulating for more than a week on social networks could have raised a public outcry in feminist circles. But nay! Apart from his health colleagues, the activists; on the side of women leaders and other organizations that say they fight against gender-based violence seem to make this incident a non-event.
On Tuesday March 21, a 26-year-old laboratory technician from the Mali hospital was severely beaten by a captain of the national gendarmerie. The health worker comes out with a bloody mouth and a broken tooth. This serious incident committed by an officer of the Malian army was decried only by the workers of the Hospital of Mali, whose Union lodged a complaint with the Territorial Brigade of Faladiè.
However, it is violence against a woman and moreover against a health worker during this month of March dedicated to the defense of women’s rights.
Faced with the seriousness of this act, we expected a lively groupings and associations of women in Mali to say no to the unacceptable, but alas.
In our opinion, this is an act that is reprehensible on several counts.
Firstly: this bodily assault of which this lady was the victim is of a singular gravity, since it was committed by an agent of the Defense and Security Forces of our country, whose sovereign mission is the protection of every Malian in all place, and in all circumstances.
Therefore, nothing justifies this act of the officer of a very important unit of our army. Alas, for a week, we agree to an apology from the FAMa towards the women of Mali in general and this health worker, in particular, in vain.
Second: it is a woman, a mother, a sister and a wife who have been attacked, losing the exercise of their functions. It was imperative to see the reaction of women’s groups and associations to decry this act, which affects the fairer sex. Unfortunately once again, these women prove to national observers that their fight for the well-being of women has another meaning. Not a single statement of condemnation, not a single action of support for this lady whose mouth was screwed up by a man stronger than her.
Yet the ladies who call themselves Mali’s women leaders are able to fill stadiums and spaces that can hold thousands of women. The proof, in the very recent past, these women who call themselves leaders drained hundreds of women from the Independence Square to the Peace Monument, for a march in support of the authorities of the transition.
Another illustration, a month ago these groups of women who were represented by certain women demanded the head of another woman in front of the headquarters of MINUSMA in Sénou.
Reason, the latter would have accused the highest authorities of the transition to degrade human rights. “We are women from Mali, we have come to ask MINUSMA to give us this stateless person so that we can deliver her to justice. She wants to tarnish the image of our transition. “, had claimed a lady claiming to be from the CAFO of Commune VI. This declaration was attested by an official press release from the CAFO which vomited, Amina DICKO as a woman from civil society in Mali.
In any event, this lady’s case is only the tip of the iceberg. A servant burned with hot water by her boss in Bamako, this woman killed and blamed by her husband on Kita, this other woman whose head was crushed by her husband in Koutiala, and hundreds of other women who suffer in their souls and pulpits can only count on little support because the women leaders of Mali apparently have other fish to fry.
BY CHRISTELLE KONE