"If things aren't going well in town, [...] we issue alerts. Because women are afraid. The children are afraid. We get together to discuss and solve any issues so that we can move forward together."

Mouna Awata is the president of the "Case de la Paix" (House of Peace), a project designed to foster women’s dynamic participation in conflict resolution and public life, and promote their economic empowerment in the precarious region of Gao, in the north of Mali.

Mali, a landlocked country in West Africa, has one of the world’s fastest growing populations. The country houses more than nine million women, yet the state of women’s health remains a critical issue. Women in Mali face significant challenges. A lack of awareness and respect for human rights, especially for women and children, continues to drive disparities in education, governance, economic independence, and security.

Recently- re-elected president of Mali, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita named 35-year-old Kamissa Camara as the minister for foreign affairs in his recent cabinet reshuffle.

With a rich background in foreign affairs and policies, Camara becomes the first woman to hold this post in the history of Mali.

Mali’s president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita on Monday named Kamissa Camara as his new foreign minister, joining a 33 member cabinet tasked with restoring peace and rebuilding the economy in Keita’s second and final term.

35-year Camara previously served as Keita’s foreign policy adviser, a position she was appointed to in July this year.

The City of Banjul made history by electing its first female mayor. Mayoress-elect Rohey Malick Lowe will be the first woman to steer the affairs of The Gambia’s capital; which houses the country’s Central Bank and is the country’s economic and administrative center.

Malian MPs from across all political parties gathered at an IPU seminar in Bamako, Mali, to discuss gender equality and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The seminar, which was co-organized with the Parliament of Mali, took place on 25 and 26 July.