Activists hold a banner in support of the Karama Law during a protest against femicide in front of the National Assembly 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)