A coordinated social media campaign supporting female genital mutilation surfaced in Mali in August, reigniting debate over tradition, women’s rights, and national sovereignty. The campaign emerged after an advocacy effort against FGM and used national imagery to portray excision as part of Malian identity. FGM supporters portray opposition to the practice as a foreign import, echoing broader sovereignty narratives, while critics say this obscures decades of homegrown activism dating to independence-era reformer Aoua Kéita. Mali has one of the highest FGM prevalence rates in the world, with roughly 89% of women aged 15 to 49 having undergone cutting. However, the practice has declined in recent years, albeit slightly. Critics of the practice fear that the campaign could strengthen conservative resistance to legal reform, upending recent progress. To prevent this, women’s rights advocates, health workers, and diaspora communities across West Africa and Europe are mobilizing against the campaign. The longer-term battle will depend on whether reform is seen as locally driven rather than externally imposed.