This article addresses the illegality of the practice of sexual mutilation (female circumcision) which includes excision and infibulation in Mali in particular, but which are universally practiced in Sub- Saharan Africa and Europe. The principal question asked is what legislation exists to protect women against sexual mutilation (SM). Article 171 of Mali's Penal Code of 1961 states that any interventions that cause death, or any substance that are administered to a person voluntarily that cause them injury or sickness where they are incapacitated from work will be punished from 6 months to 3 years of imprisonment and fined 20,000 - 200,000 francs and the person imposing the infliction shall also receive 10 years probation. However, if the illness results in a permanent state of incapacity the penalty will be from 5-10 years of hard labor. If the person dies the penalty will be 5-20 years of hard labor and 20 years of probation. While Article 163 of the Penal Code is more direct, and states that any injuries or voluntary violence imposed on a person without intent of death will be punished from 5-20 years of forced labor and 20 years probation. Article 166 of the Penal Code is the most direct regarding SM and states that when violence are injuries aimed at mutilating, amputating, deprivation of parts of the body or loss of the senses such as eyes or any other the penalty shall be from 5-10 year of forced labor. Mali has not enforced any of these laws. Yet Malian citizens practicing SM and the death of their children have been condemned in France with prison sentence. Recommendations to fight the war against Sm should include 3 strategies: 1) a national IEC campaign; 2) integrating the practice of Sm into the curriculum of all teaching institutions; and 3) changing the existing laws to make them more explicit as acts of torture and providing administrative, political and legislative support towards the eradication of such an inhuman practice.