The Gambian government is considering repealing the ban on female genital mutilation (FGM) this month. Some Gambian parliamentarians think that designating the practice illegal violates cultural and religious freedom.
Former President Yahya Jammeh enforced the ban in 2015, but today leaders such as Imam Abdoullie Fatty support it, saying that “the Gambian constitution should take precedence over any other law or protocol.” The West should stop imposing issues on us that could create instability in this country. We cannot allow them to arrest and imprison our mothers and our grandmothers because they practice their religious rights and cultural beliefs. Our position therefore is that the law must be repealed for peace to reign in The Gambia,” reports Sud Quotidien from Dakar.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and human rights defenders in the country are unequivocal about the serious health risks associated with FGM: “The immediate consequences can be physical injury, pain, injury, bleeding, which can progress to hypovolemic shock if left uncontrolled and can sometimes lead to death if one does not reach the hospital on time.” Most of the time, these mutilations are not performed under sterile settings,” stated Babading Daffeh, a lawyer.
Breaking the law results in large penalties and prison sentences for the culprit. The Gambian Parliament will hold a second reading of the measure to decriminalise FGM on March 18, 2024.