Gambia Parliament Debating A Bill To Lift Ban On Female Genital Mutilation

The Gambian parliament decided to lift the ban on female genital mutilation

The Gambia has begun the process of removing its prohibition on female circumcision, potentially becoming the first nation in the world to do away with the legal safeguards that have prevented the practice for millions of women and girls.

The contentious bill, which would remove a historic 2015 ban on female genital mutilation (FGM) and make the practice illegal by up to three years in prison, was approved 42 to 4 by lawmakers in the nation's parliament.

Almameh Gibba, the bill's sponsor, claimed that the prohibition infringed on people's freedom to follow their culture and religion in the predominately Muslim nation.

“The bill seeks to uphold religious loyalty and safeguard cultural norms and values,” he said.

However, proponents and human rights organizations claim that the new law undoes years of advancement and jeopardizes the nation's record on human rights.

Female genital mutilation is considered child abuse, according to Marie Dukureh of Safe Hands for Girls, an NGO that works to put an end to the practice.

Dukuteh also had the surgery done on her sister and saw her sister bleed to death afterward.

 “The people who applaud Female Genital Mutilation in this country, a lot of them are men. These are men who don't have the same lived experiences that we do, and women who have been through this practice continue to tell them every single day what their suffering is, what their pain is,” she said.

The republic of Gambia was split over the issue of lifting the ban placed by the deposed president Yahya Jammeh, who ruled the nation with an iron grip for 22 years before being overthrown in 2016.

The discussion erupted in August 2023 after three women—the first persons found guilty under the law—were penalized for committing Female Genital Mutilation on eight baby girls.

Following this, the bill will be referred to a parliamentary committee for more examination prior to a third reading, which is anticipated to take three months. The legislation may be modified by the committee.

Female genital mutilation is defined by UNICEF, the UN agency for children, as the partial or complete removal of the female external genitalia or any other harm to the female genital organs for purposes other than medical.

A UNICEF research from 2021 states that 76% of Gambian women between the ages of 15 and 49 have experienced female genital mutilation.

In addition to impairing sexual pleasure, female genital mutilation can result in major health issues such infections, bleeding, infertility, and difficult childbirth.