In a poignant performance earlier this month at the Acte Sept cultural center in Bamako, Mali, playwright Oliva Ouedraogo held up a fabric stained to resemble blood, shouting, “Long live the girl!” as she took center stage in her own play, “Queen” (or “Reine” in French). The play, which is set to be performed in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, addresses the taboo subject of rape and its aftermath.

“Queen” tells the fictional story of a girl who is raped by her stepfather on the night of his wedding to her mother. Defying her family’s wishes, she decides to speak out about the abuse. Ouedraogo crafted this narrative to challenge the pervasive culture of silence surrounding rape and sexual assault in her community. “I cannot understand that you could be raped and yet be considered dirty or a whore,” she expressed, emphasizing the stigma victims face.

Ouedraogo’s journey into theater began at the age of 11, inspired by a local theater company in Burkina Faso. Her motivation for writing “Queen” stemmed from her frustration with the societal expectation that rape victims remain silent to avoid familial strife. “I have to break this barrier of silence. In Africa, these barriers are here. Too many,” she asserted.

Adama Traore, director of Acte Sept, highlighted the universal nature of sexual violence, which remains largely unaddressed in discussions. He stated, “At some point, we need to confront the audience with these dark sides of ourselves.”

Gender-based violence is a significant issue in Mali, where a 2018 health survey found that 45% of women aged 15-49 have experienced physical or sexual violence, predominantly from family members. Alarmingly, 68% of those who suffered this violence had never shared their experiences with anyone.

Comparatively, in the United States, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network reports that one in nine girls under 18 experience sexual abuse or assault, while Amnesty International notes that one in 20 women in the European Union have been raped.

Mariama Samake, director of the Malian organization Girl in Distress, reinforced the reality of silence surrounding rape in families across Mali. “In every family, we have girls that have been victims of rape,” she stated, explaining that the patriarchal nature of society forces victims into silence.

Ouedraogo hopes for greater government support in enacting laws to protect victims and encourages open conversations about sexual assault to empower those affected to seek help. “There is not a space where these victims can find each other or receive psychological care,” she lamented, emphasizing the need for supportive environments for survivors to express their trauma.

Her mission is clear: to push victims out of the shadows and foster a culture where their voices can be heard and acknowledged.

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