Jaha Dukureh, a prominent Gambian anti-FGM advocate and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador for Africa, has publicly condemned Gambia’s Gender Minister Fatou Kinteh for allegedly taking undue credit for efforts to uphold the country’s FGM ban during a side event at the 68th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) in New York on Wednesday.
Dukureh, who founded Safe Hands for Girls and has long championed the eradication of female genital mutilation (FGM), accused the minister of misrepresenting the government’s role while sidelining the contributions of civil society and lawmakers.
Dukureh, an entrepreneur and international development expert, called out the minister’s claims as “a lie,” particularly regarding a pivotal trip to Egypt that influenced Gambian lawmakers to uphold the 2015 FGM ban last year. “The minister suggested they organize and fund the trip with their partners, but that’s not true,” Dukureh said. “We brought the ministry in at the last minute because the World Bank required their involvement for funding. They did everything they could to stop it, and I ended up covering the costs personally after they failed to book tickets.”
The activist revealed that she took out a personal loan from GT Bank to cover nearly 6 million Dalasi of the trip’s expenses, with additional support from the National Assembly, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), UNFPA, and the SWEDD project. “For her to organize an event at CSW, exclude me, and take credit for work I did—while claiming the president would have banned FGM without civil society—is wrong,” Dukureh stated.
She highlighted the minister’s silence during months of uncertainty over the ban’s potential repeal. She noted that civil society, including herself, and National Assembly members like Seedy Njie, led the charge to preserve the law.
Dukureh’s criticism stems from a deeply personal journey. Having survived FGM as a child and lost her baby sister to the practice, she founded Safe Hands for Girls to protect women and girls from such harm. “When I had my daughter Khadija, I vowed she wouldn’t face what I did,” she said. Her advocacy has taken her from grassroots efforts to global platforms, including roles with UN Women and the World Bank, where she advises on women’s economic empowerment.
At CSW68, Dukureh’s role as a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador focused on amplifying African women’s voices and moderating panels on gender-based violence and internet safety. She expressed frustration that the minister’s narrative painted an overly rosy picture, ignoring ongoing challenges and recent attempts to reverse the FGM ban. “Misrepresenting data or suggesting the fight is won entirely by the government undermines the work of activists, survivors, and lawmakers pushing for real enforcement,” she argued.
Despite her critique, Dukureh emphasized her willingness to collaborate with the government, citing her past work under former President Jammeh to pass the FGM law and her current agricultural venture with GIEPA to launch a biofuel feedstock project in Charmen next month. “I’m not anti-government,” she insisted. “Everything I do is for The Gambia.”
The controversy has reignited discussions about accountability and transparency in Gambia’s gender policy landscape. Dukureh sees it as a chance for deeper dialogue, though her focus remains on her business ventures in agriculture and AI-driven healthcare innovation. “Ending FGM was never a career for me,” she said. “My legacy is about financial independence and transforming lives through agriculture.”
Dukureh urged government officials to prioritize long-term solutions over political posturing and called for NGOs and international partners to support systemic change. Reflecting on the personal toll of activism—including online bullying and misconceptions about her motives—she reaffirmed her commitment. “Advocacy isn’t about popularity,” she said. “It’s about standing up for girls who depend on us for a future where they control their bodies.”
Meanwhile, Gender Minister Silent as Anti-FGM Advocate’s Accusations Stir Controversy at CSW68
Following sharp criticism from Jaha Dukureh, a leading Gambian anti-FGM advocate, regarding misleading claims made at a CSW68 side event in New York, the Alkamba Times reached out to Gambia’s Gender Minister Fatou Kinteh for her response. As of this publication, the Gender Minister has not replied to our messages.
The Alkamba Times sought clarification from the Gender Minister on these claims, including her stance on the Egypt trip funding, her silence during the repeal debate, and her portrayal of the government’s efforts at CSW68. Despite repeated attempts to contact her office, no response was received by press time.
The minister’s silence fuels an already heated controversy, raising questions about transparency and collaboration between the Gambian government and civil society in the fight against FGM. Dukureh, who has emphasized her openness to work with authorities—citing past successes under former President Jammeh and current agricultural partnerships—called for a truthful narrative that acknowledges progress and challenges.
As the story develops, the Alkamba Times will continue to seek the minister’s perspective and provide updates on this unfolding dispute, which has spotlighted the complexities of gender advocacy in The Gambia on an international stage.
