Adolescent Girls in Crisis: Voices from the Sahel
Blog by Serap Altinisik, Head of Office, Plan International EU Office, and Dr. Fatoumata Haidara, Director for the Sahel Region, Plan International. ‘I come from Timbuktu, but my family is now in Mopti, one of the areas most affected by the Sahel crisis. During all my life, I have seen girls and women in the Sahel, particularly in Mali, suffered gender inequalities that limited their protection and education. However, in these last eight years working in the Sahel region, I have observed with suffering how a complex and armed crisis forces families to separate, to flee, to abandon their livelihoods. I see how girls suffer the fear of the armed groups, child marriage and dropping out the school. Finally, in the last three months, I have also seen how all humanitarian efforts to protect these girls are even more at risk due to COVID-19 and its consequences.’ - Dr. Fatoumata Haidara, Sahel Director Plan International.