By: Fatou Dahaba
Following the contentious dismissal of the Women’s Amendment Bill aimed at overturning The Gambia’s 2015 Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) law, activists are urging increased community involvement and governmental measures to reinforce the enforcement of current laws against the practice.
Before a third and final reading, lawmakers voted against each clause of the proposed bill, with a majority opposing each clause. The vote represents a huge win for girls’ and women’s rights in The Gambia.
For survivors and anti-FGM campaigners in The Gambia, the past few months have been filled with tension and debate.
“We are talking about something that has been entrenched in tradition and practices for so long,” said Tabou Njie Sarr, a women’s rights activist and anti-FGM campaigner.
Sarr stresses the need for more educational outreach, including in schools, to ensure people are well informed and can make knowledgeable choices. She also believes the government must play a crucial role.
“The government needs to enforce the law that bans the practice. Increase the Ministry of Gender’s budget and ensure proper coordination of all FGM activities to avoid duplication of efforts and use resources judiciously,” she added.
On July 15th, Gambian lawmakers voted to uphold the 2015 ban on FGM, rejecting a bill that sought to overturn the law after months of intense debate and international scrutiny.
“I believe the most important thing right now, especially on the side of CSOs after the rejection of the bill, is going back to the communities and engaging them about the effects of FGM,” said Modou Lamin Davis, National Coordinator of Men for Equality, a movement set by Gambia men to fight and protect women and girls against gender-based violence.
Davis emphasizes that community sensitization programs can lead to the voluntary abandonment of FGM, with or without the law. “This, I believe, is the best way to sustain the total abandonment of the practice of FGM.”
Davis also calls for government investment in programs that educate communities about protecting women and girls from all forms of harm, including FGM. He stresses the need to strengthen mechanisms to hold perpetrators accountable and provide survivors with necessary medical, legal, and psychological support.
Civil societies and relevant ministries have tirelessly advocated for the National Assembly to uphold the ban on FGM/C in The Gambia. In collaboration, they have presented key recommendations on maintaining the law, including protecting the health and well-being of girls and women, upholding fundamental human rights, and promoting gender equality.
Yadicon Njie Eribo, National Coordinator of FAWEGAM and Chairperson of TANGO, underscores the importance of unity among civil society organizations (CSOs) and collaboration with government agencies, ministries, and stakeholders.
“We need to empower and encourage women and girls to enter into leadership roles in parliament and their communities,” she said.
FGM/C has negative consequences for the health, safety, and rights of women and girls, including their rights to education, bodily autonomy, and freedom from gender-based violence.
According to the latest Demographic and Health Survey (2019), the prevalence rate of FGM/C in The Gambia is 73%, with two-thirds of affected women reporting that they were cut at the tender age of 5.
The landmark 2015 ban on FGM makes the practice punishable by up to three years imprisonment.
Gibbi Mballow, National Assembly Member for Lower Fulladu West, is among the lawmakers who voted to maintain the FGM law.
“I voted against the bill to protect women and girls from a harmful practice which exposes them to several health risks and also violates their rights to physical and mental wellbeing. Remember, 61% of the voter population are women, so their well-being is paramount, and we have a responsibility to safeguard that and ensure there is no room for discrimination,” he added.
Despite most of the National Assembly Members of the opposition United Democratic Party voting for repealing the ban on FGM, Hon Modou Lamin Bah of Banjul North voted for the ban to remain.
“I voted in favor of the ban to safeguard the rights and well-being of women and girls of this country. I did not vote based on the party, I did not vote as UDP, and I voted as a member of Banjul North, which is to protect our women and girls against harmful cultural practices.”
The position of CSOs and some National Assembly Members echoes the World Health Organization’s stance that FGM is a violation of women’s human rights and can cause severe physical harm, including death from bleeding, as well as psychological damage. The practice, which involves damaging part of the clitoris and labia or sewing the vaginal opening shut, is often seen as a way to preserve a woman’s virginity by reducing sexual pleasure or making intercourse difficult.
Campaigners and international rights groups continue to assert that FGM is a harmful violation against women and girls that must be eradicated through comprehensive community engagement and stringent enforcement of existing laws.
