The Women’s Museum Muso Kunda

This chapter analyzes one of the first private initiatives in the field of heritage in the post-1992 period, the development of the women's museum Muso Kunda in Korofinna, Bamako. Conceived and realized by Adame Ba Konaré, wife of the then-president and herself a distinguished historian, the museum reflects efforts by the democratic leadership to give women more visibility, to stress their historical and social contributions, and to promote greater women's participation in every sector, including the economic and political fields. The museum was closed for renovations in 2011 and remains closed as of late 2015. The chapter also considers the visitor's experience of the museum by analyzing museum tours undertaken by two of the museum's main target audiences (foreign tourists and Malian youth) and highlighting some of the unexpected interactions and conversations around issues of gender that developed between visitors and museum representatives.