Activists hold placards in front of the National Assembly during a protest against femicide in Nouakchott, on May 1, 2026. Civil society groups in Mauritania have called on the government to tackle the issue of femicide after a young woman was allegedly raped and murdered. A police patrol found the lifeless body of Fatimata Hamady Ba on the outskirts of the capital, Nouakchott overnight between April 18 and 19. The news has sparked a strong reaction online in Mauritania, a conservative Islamic republic where violence against women and gender equality have been contentious issues. (Photo by Bechir Malum / AFP via Getty Images)