The Gambia: Parliament rejects bill to overturn ban on FGM
Parliament of the Gambia has rejected a bill that would have overturned a ban on female genital mutilation (FGM), a move that has been applauded by human rights advocates, the World Health Organisation, and United Nations representatives.
The Bill passed a second reading in Parliament in March 2024, before a widespread public consultation process was undertaken which culminated in a report recommending that FGM continue to be banned in the country. It would have represented the first time a country had regressed on a ban against FGM, a practice widely recognised as a human rights violation.
Despite this win, there is a need for improved implementation of the ban against FGM to ensure that women and girls across the country benefit from its protections. Although banned in 2015 under the Women’s (Amendment) Act, it was only in 2023 that the first conviction was secured for FGM in the Gambia. The failure of the Bill has led to renewed calls for enforcement of the ban in order to make progress against the prevalence of FGM.
FGM continues to be practiced in 28 countries across Africa, and progress to eliminate it appears to have slowed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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