1.51 million
social media interactions
in 2019
Benbere
Malian bloggers build coexistence
Benbere was launched in Mali in May 2018. The platform aims to reflect the voices of a highly fragmented country. There is a striking lack of knowledge among young Malians about their peers in the different regions of North, South and Centre as well as of the different ethnicities and traditions. Benbere enables young Malians to understand each other better.
All voices included
Meetings with a broad network of local bloggers and potential partners as well as youth consultations indicated that there was a real need for a platform promoting social cohesion and representing the voices of all people in Mali. Young Malians as well as politicians actively engage on social media and there is a strong blogging culture, meaning an online platform would have the potential both to harness existing local expertise – and reach decision makers.
Building understanding
Benbere aims to build an online community of people from across Mali by increasing understanding between social groups who have little or no knowledge of each other. A broad network of bloggers from all over the country represent the viewpoints of Mali’s different communities with content reflecting the country’s cultural diversity. These contributors are coordinated by Benbere teams based in Mali’s two main cities – the capital Bamako in the South and Timbuktu in the North.
Voice for feminists
Benebere is also a place for people to talk about women’s rights. Topics such as marriage and professional life are addressed from women’s perspectives, which is unusual in Mali’s media. The Benbere bloggers have confronted several restrictive social norms and the platform encourages debates on everyday but little-discussed issues: from early marriage to polygamy
SRHR
In 2019, the Benbere team launched a special section of the site dealing with sexual and reproductive health issues (SRHR). Called Ladamour it deals with topics such as Love & Relationships, youth-friendlier SRHR and legal services and the right to birth control. Since its launch Ladamour has approached local women’s CSOs and a workshop has been offered to 18 staff members from 10 CSOs to strengthen their capacity to increase their online visibility. Ladamour also offers offline spaces to discuss SRHR issues openly and offers peer experiences, testimonials and information on sexuality, GBV, female genital cutting and the social pressures young Malians face in their relationship choices and realities regarding SRHR.
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