Women’s participation in the defense and security forces in Mali: A vehicle for trust

Identifying obstacles and solutions to building peace in Mali

One of the main obstacles to peace in Mali is the recurrence of unresolved conflicts. This has largely been due to limitations and failures in conflict management and conflict resolution methods applied by state and non-state actors throughout Mali’s history. According to Malians consulted through dialogue processes led by IMRAP and Interpeace, most citizens do not feel consulted by national, regional and local resolution processes and feel abandoned by the state. Consequently, communities often lack trust in government institutions and their representatives, such as the defense and security forces (DSF).

The previous participatory action research (PAR) processes led by IMRAP and Interpeace, "Self-portrait of Mali, obstacles to peace" et un "Building trust between civilian populations and the defense and security forces: diagnosis and solutions for sustainable peace in Mali”, have shed light on the profound lack of trust between communities and their armed forces.  The research revealed that the Malian population believes that restoring trust between communities and DSF is a key factor in building peace.

In addition to this, women are lacking participation in governance and decision-making spheres. Paradoxically, it is especially women who play a key role in fueling and resolving conflicts in Mali, particularly outside of the formal spheres. Therefore, it is essential to improve women’s participation in Mali’s security apparatus in order to foster trust between civilians and DSF.

In April 2017, a new PAR was initiated as a follow-up to previous processes dealing with the question of trust-building between communities and DSF. This research was implemented with the support of the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund Gender Promotion Initiative.

The research focused on (i) improving trust between women and the DSF’s and (ii) promoting women’s participation in the defense and security forces in Mali.

Defense and Security Forces in Mali. Photo credit: IMRAP

Beyond the rights of women, a question of peace for Mali

Promoting female personnel in the DSF is not an end in itself, but rather a means to advance the Malian peace process. Women’s participation is needed to build trust between the population and the DSF. This, in turn, will foster sustainable peace in Mali.

The participation of women in the DSF increases the population’s acceptance of the armed forces. As participants illustrated during the consultation process, seeing a woman in uniform often makes civilians feel more at ease, particularly women, and attenuates their fear. The female figure is often associated with non-violence by the communities consulted. Moreover, increased trust and collaboration between the defense and security forces and the population allows the DSF to better fulfill their mission and reduce violent confrontations.

The report entitled “From trial to success”: Women’s participation in the defense and security forces in Mali: a vehicle for trust, was launched on 4 October 2018 in Bamako, Mali. The recommendations and solutions identified in this study will support Malian women’s participation in the defense and security forces and in the security sector reform.

During the consultation phase, IMRAP’s audiovisual team captured the opinions expressed by the various participants. These can now be seen in a short film that faithfully reproduces the viewpoints of the actors involved in the process. Watch the short film with French subtitles s'inscrire ici,.

Ensuring a locally-owned process

Consultations began in October 2017. More than 3000 people were consulted through focus groups and individual interviews in the regions of Gao, Timbuktu and Bamako, and preliminary research results were disseminated in Kayes, Koulikoro, Sikasso and Ségou. These disseminations generated important debates that were included in the results of the final report. The consultations engaged a wide range of actors, representing different social groups in Mali, including members of the DSF, women, young people as well as administrative, religious, traditional and political authorities.

This research is part of a wider programme led by the Malian Government in collaboration with its partners, aimed at promoting the role of women in society and public life.

This report includes recommendations for concrete actions that can be taken to improve women’s participation in the defense and security forces, thus contributing to stronger trust and collaboration between DSF and civilians, and, in turn, to peace.

• Lisez le rapport complet en français ici.

Read the Illustrated Synthesis in français et un anglais.

 

Launch of the report on October, 2018.

Illustrated Synthesis - “From trial to success” Women’s participation in the defense and security forces in Mali: a vehicle for trust

Synthèse Illustrée - « D’un coup d’essai, un véritable coup de maître » Participation des femmes dans les forces de défense et de sécurité au Mali : un vecteur de confiance

« D’un coup d’essai, un véritable coup de maître » Participation des femmes dans les forces de défense et de sécurité au Mali : un vecteur de confiance

How do social gender dynamics influence trajectories of young people towards new forms of violence? - A study conducted in Côte d’Ivoire and Mali

Trajectories of young people towards violence are generally not a result of indoctrination or the expression of youth frustration, but rather a result of the social dynamics and pressures exerted on them since childhood. Even though these pressures on boys and girls are of the same nature, young people’s responses to them are strongly structured by gender roles and norms.

In 2016, Interpeace and its partners Indigo Côte d’Ivoire and the Malian Institute of Action Research for Peace (IMRAP) conducted a participatory research entitled “Beyond Ideology and Greed: Trajectories of young people towards new forms of violence in Mali and Côte d’Ivoire”. This report highlighted how the educational crisis and the quest for meaning and social success have influenced vulnerable youth into joining socially-alternative groups – some of which are prone to violent acts. During the discussions and debates that followed its dissemination, several questions focused on how gender is also a key factor in determining young people’s trajectories towards new forms of violence. In this context, a complementary research process was conducted to deepen the understanding developed in the previous research on the impact of gender roles and social pressure.

The report is entitled “I walk with the boys”- Trajectories of young people towards violence: mirror of the gender dynamics of their society? A local analysis of gender roles and social pressures in Côte d’Ivoire and Mali.

Among the most important research findings, we found that: A). Society’s expectations of young people, whatever their gender, is focusing more and more on their economic contribution. In addition to that, the less privileged they are, the more pressure they are under to contribute. B). Though women take on a more important economic role, this does not ensure their “emancipation”. However, it does simultaneously bring on a crisis of masculinity, which nowadays creates a need for men to redefine themselves. C). Overly strict forms of authority and social control can push certain young people, both boys and girls, towards marginalization, and therefore lead some to carry out violent acts. And D). It is necessary to develop new success models for young boys and girls who have trouble identifying with social models set by traditional and community spheres, by their elders or by school.

Over a period of three months, from July to September 2017, the teams of researchers and facilitators from Indigo and IMRAP led consultations in Abobo and Bouaké in Côte d’Ivoire, and in Sikasso, Gao and Bamako in Mali. Through focus groups and individual interviews, the team of researchers engaged 203 young people. With the financial support of UNICEF, the research, published on November 2017, highlights how the gender dimension is crucial in understanding the social dynamics of young people’s participation in new forms of violence.

Find the detailed findings from this research process in French s'inscrire ici,, an illustrated summary in English s'inscrire ici,et short video clips about the life trajectories of some Ivorian and Malian women and how they relate to violence and social pressure.

The realities illustrated in this document reveal complexities that a three-month research project cannot completely solve. More studies, of longer duration, will undoubtedly be necessary. But we must not stop there: the reflections drawn from this study should inspire concrete changes in the way of approaching this issue, because simple solutions do not exist.

These conclusions constitute the launching pad for a necessary collective action around the central question of success models set out for young people in the region.

"I walk with the boys" Trajectories of young people towards violence: mirror of the gender dynamics of their society? A local analysis of gender roles and social pressures in Cote d’Ivoire and Mali

Resulting from a participatory research conducted by Interpeace and its partners Indigo Côte d'Ivoire and the  Institut Malien de Recherche Action pour la Paix (IMRAP), the report entitled Beyond ideology and greed: trajectories of young people towards new forms of violence in Côte d'Ivoire and Mali published in 2016, highlighted how the educational crisis on the one hand, and the search for social recognition and new success models on the other, explain the trajectories of young people towards alternative spaces of socialization, which can lead to (the use of) violence. During the discussions and debates following its dissemination, several questions pointed to the issues of gender. While girls are generally not among the active providers of violence, it is important to highlight their experiences in the path to violence in order to understand their level of involvement and participation. It is also important to understand how these dynamics influence the trajectories of girls, and how education influences them.

On this basis, a complementary research process was conducted jointly in Côte d'Ivoire and Mali to deepen the understanding of the gendered dynamics based on the findings of the previous research.

Among the most important research findings, we found that: A). Society’s expectations of young people, whatever their gender, is focusing more and more on their economic contribution. In fact, the less privileged they are, the more pressure they are under to contribute. B). Though women are beginning to take on a more important economic role, this does not ensure their “emancipation”. However, it brings on a crisis of masculinity for men, who must now redefine and assert themselves in some way. C). Overly strict forms of authority and social control can push certain young people, both boys and girls, towards marginalization, and therefore lead some to carry out violent acts. And D). It is necessary to develop new success models for young boys and girls who have trouble identifying with social models set by traditional and community spheres, by their elders or by school.

These conclusions constitute the launching pad for collective action around the central question of success models set out for young people, both boys and girls, in the region.