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Supporters of a bill aimed at decriminalizing female genital mutilation demonstrate as parliament debates the bill in Banjul, Gambia March 18, 2024.
Gambia’s Parliament on Monday rejected a bill that sought to overturn the 2015 landmark ban on female genital mutilation – a dangerous practice involving the partial or total removal of female external genitalia.
The bill was brought forward by religious conservatives in March to decriminalize the practice – arguing it is “one of the virtues of Islam” – and was initially met with majority support from MPs.
Debate over the decision has divided the small and largely Muslim West African nation between conservative figures and anti-FGM activists for months. However, women, religious figures, and doctors campaigned fiercely, swaying lawmakers’ opinions to reject the bill on every clause.
Women across Gambia celebrated, but much progress is still needed. Gambia ranks among the top 10 countries of reported FGM practices, as almost three out of every four women from aged 15 to 49 have been subjected to this procedure. And although criminalized by the 2015 ban, the legislation is weak at best – carrying only a three-year sentence and a roughly $740 fine – and has only led to three convictions.
After almost becoming the first nation in the world to overturn such a protection, Gambian women are fighting more than ever for stricter enforcement of the FGM ban to protect their daughters, friends, and themselves.