Lawmakers in Gambia, a small country in West Africa, had been on the verge of repealing the ban on female genital cutting, but after a three-month campaign by women, the decision was overturned in a vote on Monday.
The National Assembly of Gambia voted overwhelmingly to keep the ban in place, with 34 members in favor of maintaining the legislation and 19 in favor of repealing it. This shift in decision came after the country had been under international scrutiny for potentially becoming the first nation to roll back protections against cutting.
Satang Nabaneh, a Gambian legal scholar specializing in sexual and reproductive rights and women’s rights, highlighted the significance of this decision, stating that Gambia would have faced a negative reputation if the ban had been lifted.
Women’s rights activists, who had been actively lobbying politicians and raising awareness about the harmful effects of female genital cutting, celebrated the outcome of the vote. The practice in Gambia typically involves the removal of the clitoris and labia minora.
Jaha Dukureh, a prominent campaigner against female genital cutting, expressed satisfaction with the result, stating, “We did everything we could collectively to ensure the law stays.”
