FATOUMA HARBER
HRD, FOUNDER
Yermatoun
RADIO MESSAGE
Fatouma Harber is a human rights defender, teacher and blogger based in
Timbuktu. When the Islamist armed groups occupied Timbuktu in 2012, she
started writing articles in her blog to speak out against the human
rights abuses committed against civilians, and particularly violence
against women. Initially, Fatouma tried to remain anonymous, but after
her blog was nominated for a prize, she started to use her own name and
to participate in radio and TV shows. She became well-known and she
started receiving death threats. Her parents, who live with her in
Timubktu, started to receive threats from armed groups. Despite the
threats, Fatouma continued to document human rights abuses and to write
in her blog. She also co-formed the #Mali100Mega Movement, that
advocates for better and cheaper Internet access in Mali, and she
founded the organisation Doniblog, a collective of Malian bloggers who
write mainly about democracy and freedom of expression. Fatouma also
created an association called Yermatoun, which demands justice for the
victims in Northern Mali and works on democracy, youth empowerment and
government accountability.
