The ongoing crisis in Mali has led to levels of socioeconomic disruption and displacement at an unprecedented scale. There are numerous factors that contribute to aggravate/worsen the situation - political crises, decades of drought, structural food insecurity, climate change, high rates of poverty, and high rates of youth unemployment. In many areas traditional livelihoods have been usurped by political conflict or by drought, causing extremely high rates of displacement and food insecurity. Since 2017 there have been significant increases in violent attacks and rates of displacement, and the crisis continues to grow in scope and scale into 2020 (OCHA 2020).
The first few months of 2020 saw escalating violence and conflict, leading to a sharp rise in internal displacements, the continued disruption of markets, and a deterioration in the supply of basic social services. The results from the recent food and nutrition security analysis (Cadre Harmonisé, November 2019) indicate that from October to December 2019, 648,330 people are estimated to be food insecure – representing an increase of 250 percent compared to the same time last year (WFP 2020).
Mali is a highly patriarchal society, with institutionalized gender inequality that marginalizes women. The effects of the crisis have not affected all equally, and there is significant evidence that there are significant differences, with the resources, rights, and afforded to women, men, boys, girls, and other groups of individuals, requiring different coping strategies. High levels of diversity in ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and circumstance within communities bring about important intersections between power and vulnerability that further prioritize and marginalize certain individuals. As the crisis in Mali continues to rapidly evolve, it is critical to ensure that humanitarian interventions are designed to respond to the needs of women, men, boys, girls, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups.
To better understand the experiences of women, men, boys within this highly dynamic and rapidly evolving crisis, CARE Mali conducted a Rapid Gender Analysis in March 2020, with the objective of analysing and understanding how the insecurity and conflict in the Mopti region has influenced women, men, girls, boys, people with disabilities, and other specific groups; as well as to identify and propose solutions to limitations women face to full participation in decision making; and to provide practical advice to decision-making to improve gender integration in humanitarian response programming and planning. Of key importance was the generation of recommendations to the Harande program, a USAID Food for Peace program being led by CARE and implemented in the Mopti region from 2015-2020.