[2] The Family Code was structured in a way that allowed the government to legislate marriage relations and define the treatment of women in society.
[3] The reform efforts ultimately boiled down to a debate over preserving traditional Islamic values or expanding rights for women in a way that was perceived as being more Westernized.
[3] When Mali's government implemented multiparty elections, there has been a greater push for reforms in the existing Family Code to expand the protections of women under Malian law.
[4] Much of the debate surrounding changing the Family Code is a result of apparent conflicts between proposed amendments and traditional Islamic practices.
[1][7] Specifically, many of the Islamic practices detailing marriage and family customs have been integrated into Mali's laws concerning the same issues, especially in areas of the state with traditionally Muslim leadership.
[2] Another tension challenging the law is the argument that it violates important family and marital principles of Islam, generating a large degree of pushback from the religious communities.
[10][8] The version that ended up passing involved a lowering of the minimum marriage age and the reinstatement of the original obedience clause, stating that women have to obey the demands of their husbands.
[9] One of the largest hindrances to successful reform is the understanding that changes to legislation will not be implemented effectively when there is a gap in enforcement and social practice.
[1] This has led to a lot of skepticism and distrust amongst individuals who feel that even with reform, the oppressive society will remain due to historical precedent and social norms.
[4] The most controversial areas of reform have been bride price, registration of marriage, number of wives, the obligation to obedience, choice of the site of residence, and inheritance.
[15] Threats against legislators, angry sermons, organised protest meetings[16] and radio and television campaigns all attempted to rally opposition to the bill.
[19] President Touré reasserted that the struggle to pursue "the dual objective of promoting a wave of modernization while preserving the foundations of our society" would continue.
[20] "I have taken this decision to send the family code for a second reading to ensure calm and a peaceful society, and to obtain the support and understanding of our fellow citizens.
[19] This new bill included the reintroduction of religious marriage, altered the previous version's enhancement of women's inheritance rights, and changed the recognition of an illegitimate child.
[5] This case was incredibly notable because it is the first time that this court has actually determined a country to be in violation of the various human rights charters in place.
[5] Many of the revision efforts place emphasis on expanding the rights of women and upholding the principle of female equality established in the Malian Constitution.
[1] A correlation has been noted that women in Mali are more likely to be able to engage with the institutions beyond their home village if they have received higher education and have a broader understanding of the political systems.
[2] All of the driving factors for female support are tied to their ability to access political knowledge and engage within the governmental and societal structures that already exist.