PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Henry Herrera
Phone: +1-301-801-0608
Email: info@menandboys.net
In Mali, Boys and Men Are Being Left Behind—Immediate Change Is Crucial
May 9, 2025 – New data from Mali reveals a troubling pattern: while gender efforts have rightly lifted up women, key indicators show that men and boys face growing disadvantages that go largely unnoticed.
Education:
The literacy rate for Malian men over 15 is just 25.7%, compared to 35.5% for women (1). Even at the preschool level, boys trail behind—only 40% are enrolled, versus 43% of girls (2).
Health:
Men in Mali live shorter lives than women, with a 2023 life expectancy of 59.04 years for men versus 61.9 for women (3)(4). The adult mortality rate is also higher for men: 279.5 per 1,000 compared to 220.4 for women (5).
Child Labor:
Among children aged 5–14, boys are more likely to be involved in child labor—14.6% versus 9.6% for girls. In agriculture, 24.2% of boys are affected compared to 17.7% of girls (6).
Homicide:
Men account for 65% of homicide victims in Mali, with 727 male deaths compared to 392 female (7).
Suicide:
In 2021, the suicide rate for Malian men was nearly double that of women—5.5 per 100,000 versus 2.8 (8)(9).
Workplace:
Male labor force participation is 80.3% (10). Migrant men also report more workplace injuries than women—40% versus 36%—highlighting the added risks male workers often face (11).
Conclusion:
The data is clear: the gender gap affects men too— Addressing these issues is not just a matter of fairness, it is essential for building a truly just, balanced, and inclusive society for all.
The International Council for Men and Boys is a non-governmental organization that is working to celebrate the contributions of men to society and to end the 12 sex disparities that affect men and boys around the world. Achieving #GenderEqualityForMen also will benefit women.
https://www.menandboys.net/
Links:
1.https://reportcards.malala.org/countries/mali/
2.https://data.unwomen.org/country/mali
3.https://tradingeconomics.com/mali/life-expectancy-at-birth-female-years-wb-data.html
4.https://tradingeconomics.com/mali/life-expectancy-at-birth-male-years-wb-data.html
5.https://genderdata.worldbank.org/en/indicator/sp-dyn-amrt?gender=male
7, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homicide_statistics_by_gender
8.https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.SUIC.MA.P5
9.https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.SUIC.FE.P5