After more than three and a half years of armed conflict in Mali, a peace agreement was finally signed on 20 June 2015, marking the end of more than 10 months of mediation led by Algeria and the international community. It renewed hope for the country's population of over 15 million. “Women in Mali want peace, nothing but peace. Along with girls, they have paid the highest price with the various types of violence they have suffered, which have left wounds that will take a long time to heal,” said Ms. Sangaré Oumou Ba, the Minister for the Promotion of Women, Children and Families.