Gambia upholds ban on FGM, boosts women’s health and rights

DLHA Staff writer

Partial map of West Africa showing The Gambia. Click on image to enlarge.

TUESDAY. JULY 16 2024 - The National Assembly of The Gambia, on Monday, July 15 2024 upheld the country’s decision to ban Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) as codified in the “The Women’s (Amendment) Act, 2015”, thereby reaffirming the country’s commitments to human rights, gender equality, and protecting the health and well-being of girls and women. 

For background, “The Women’s (Amendment) Act, 2015” itself resulted from an amendment of the Women’s Act of 2010, which prohibited FGM in Gambia.

Former president Yahya Jammeh in 2015, authorized the imposition of fines and prison sentences of up to three years for individuals who engaged FGM. The law also punished perpetrators with life sentences in cases where the practice led to death.

The legislators’ decision followed sustained efforts over the years by some interest groups to overturn the “The Women’s (Amendment) Act, 2015 – which to date has being a pivotal milestone in the country in advancing gender equality, eradicating harmful practice on women and meeting the Sustainable Development Goal targets (5.3).

FGM involves cutting or removing some or all of the external female genitalia. It is mostly carried out on infants and young girls and it can inflict severe immediate and long-term physical and psychological damage, including infection, later childbearing complications, and post-traumatic stress disorder. It is considered a culturally harmful practice.

Commenting on the decision, the World Health Organization and its partners wrote in a news release as follows:

“The decision to maintain the FGM ban aligns with The Gambia's international and regional commitments to prevent harmful practices against girls and women, consistent with the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, and the Maputo Protocol protecting African women’s rights.

“In addition to recognizing this critical decision by the national parliament, we commend the tireless efforts of survivors, activists, civil society organizations, and faith-based groups working to end FGM. Upholding the ban supports these grassroots initiatives, which are pivotal in ending all forms of violence, including harmful practices, against girls and women and delivering a safer and healthier future for girls and women in The Gambia and elsewhere.  

“The fragility of progress to end FGM cannot be overstated. Assaults on women’s and girls’ rights in countries around the globe have meant that hard-won gains are in danger of being lost. In some countries, advancements have stalled or reversed due pushback against girls’ and women's rights, instability, and conflict, disrupting services and prevention programmes. 

“That is why legislative bans on FGM, while a crucial foundation for interventions, cannot alone end FGM. Today, more than 73 per cent of girls and women aged 15 to 49 in the country have already undergone this harmful practice, with many subjected to it before their fifth birthday.  

“Recent months have emphasized the need for continued advocacy to advance gender equality, end violence against girls and women, and secure the gains made to accelerate progress to end FGM. It also underscores the importance of engaging with communities and grassroots organizations, working with traditional, political, and religious leaders, training health workers, and raising awareness effectively on the harms caused by the practice.  

“Supporting survivors of FGM remains as urgent as ever. Many suffer from long-term physical and psychological harm that can result from the procedure, and need comprehensive medical and psychological care to heal from the scars inflicted by this harmful practice.   

Congratulations to the government, people, civil society, and communities in The Gambia in achieving this recent milestone in their fight against FGM.

Stakeholders worldwide, must continue the fight until all girls and women can live free from violence and harmful practices and their rights, bodily integrity, and dignity are upheld. This fight is most especially needed in areas of the world where violent practices of diverse nature against women are common.

Source: World Health Organization Statement, July 15, 2024.

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