Aminata Diop (born c. 1978) is a Malian woman who in 1989 fled to France to escape a female genital mutilation (FGM) procedure.
Both Diop's initial application and an appeal in September 1991 were denied on technical grounds, as she had failed to seek help from the Malian government before fleeing the country.
Her aunt threw her out once she explained why she had run away, but a friend who worked for a Belgian airline organised a passport and bought her a one-way ticket to Brussels.
[3] Due to public outcry over the decision, including an international letter-writing campaign, the government allowed Diop to remain in the country.
[4] Diop suffered a period of depression when she first arrived in France, but in October 1992, it was reported that she was adapting better, taking daily French classes and working part-time as an office cleaner.