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In Mali, maternal image has become the symbol of the revolutionary martyrs of March 1991. This revolution has overthrown the military regime in place since twenty-three years and led to a process of democratic change. This maternal image emerged after the events and cemented memories. It has been imposed as the main framework to interpret women’s political participation in the nation building. If motherhood is a central social function assigned to women in that society, this is a narrow argument for understanding how this unanimity has been forged. This article shows that the interpretation of the historic past is being shaped by present challenges. In the context of political democratization, this image made sense for various actors – men as women – and served as a basis for different claims. From the judicial arena to the field of Women’s advocacy, through the politics of the institutional memory, the martyrology of the revolution was shaped at the intersection of various arenas. Memory was written by more than one hand and has been accompanied by the forgotten of women past struggles who didn’t reinforce the myth.