Gambia Upholds Ban on Female Genital Mutilation

Supporters of the bill aimed at decriminalizing female genital mutilation demonstrate as parliament debates the legislation in March 2024. Malick Njie/Reuters

Gambia - In a landmark decision, Gambia's parliament has voted to maintain the country's ban on female genital mutilation (FGM), rejecting attempts to overturn the historic legislation. The vote on Monday came after religious groups pushed for the repeal of the 2015 law that criminalized the practice.

MP Amadou Camara, chair of a joint health and gender committee, confirmed to CNN that none of the clauses seeking to repeal the ban in the Women's (Amendment) Bill 2024 were passed. This decision ensures that Gambia will not become the first country in the world to relegalize FGM after criminalizing it.

The original ban, enacted in 2015 under former president Yahya Jammeh, imposes fines and prison sentences of up to three years for those who perform FGM. In cases where the practice results in death, perpetrators can face life sentences.

Despite the legal prohibition, FGM remains prevalent in Gambia. According to United Nations data, 73% of women aged 15-49 had undergone the procedure as of 2020, with over 65% subjected to it before the age of five.

The push to repeal the ban came from pro-Islamic groups and some lawmakers who argued that female circumcision is "one of the virtues of Islam." Opposition leader and former interior minister Mai Ahmad Fatty defended the practice, stating, "There is no FGM in Gambia. We circumcise, not mutilate."

Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, had condemned efforts to revoke the ban as a "backward move" for human rights protection in the country. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed outrage at the potential legalization of FGM during his Women's Day address in March.

The practice continues to occur despite the ban. In 2023, three women were convicted of performing FGM on eight female minors, receiving fines of approximately 15,000 Gambian Dalasi ($220) each. In 2016, two women faced charges after a 5-month-old girl died from complications related to the procedure.

This parliamentary decision reaffirms Gambia's commitment to eliminating FGM and protecting the rights of girls and women in the country. However, challenges remain in enforcing the ban and changing deeply rooted cultural practices.