Fatou Haidara

Fatou Haidara (born c.1962) is a Malian politician and the youngest female minister. She went on to be a deputy director-general for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization.

Life Haidera was born in about 1962. She had a masters degree in Economics when she led the "Support for Women Entrepreneurs" project and worked for the Centre for Studies and Industrial Promotion (CEPI). In 1992 when she was thirty she became the youngest minister in the new President Alpha Oumar Konaré's government on 9 June 1992. She was given the Employment and Vocational Training portfolio where she promoted Mali's private sector.

In 1993 she moved to the Crafts and Tourism ministry until she was given the more important Ministry of Industry, Trade and Crafts in 1997. She held that portfolio until 2000 when Alpha Oumar Konaré had a reshuffle.

Haidara joined the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). She had the special responsibility for Africa.

In 2025 there had been 57 women ministers in Mali and Haidara was one of them. The first in government was Inna Sissoko Cissé in 1968 and was the first minister.