AFRICA | ADVOCACY & POLICY | VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN | HEALTH
Gambian Parliament Advances Bill to Reverse Ban on FGM
WORDS BY LARA GIBBS | LARA@THEIWI.ORG | 11 APRIL 2024
On March 18th, Gambian parliament voted to advance a bill that would overturn the ban on female genital mutilation (FGM). Politicians voted 42 to four in favour of the bill. This vote has sparked protests from both sides of the argument and brought strong criticism from activists, expressing deep concern about the future of women’s rights. According to the UN, 73% of women and girls have been subjected to FGM in The Gambia. The landmark ban came into effect in 2015 after years of campaigning, issuing perpetrators with steep fines and prison sentences of up to 3 years.
This new bill was introduced by Gambian MP, Almameh Gibba. Gibba has argued that the bill “seeks to uphold religious loyalty and safeguard cultural norms and values”. While those opposed to FGM say it has no basis in the Qur’an and that the practice actually predates major religions.
Although there are different forms, FGM is the partial or complete removal of the external female genitals for non-medical reasons. FGM can be performed on baby girls as young as one week old and is a deeply embedded cultural practice in The Gambia. Reasons behind the practice include preserving female purity and assuring women’s marriageability. Many consider it unclean for a woman to remain “uncut”. It is not based in any religion, however many have claimed that it is important in Islam.
Jaha Dukureh led the campaign which resulted in the 2015 ban on FGM. She also campaigned to make transporting American girls abroad for FGM a crime. She founded the organisation Safe Hands for Girls who seek to end FGM and child marriage, as well as supporting survivors of these practices. Those campaigning for the ban to be overturned have argued that the Qur’an does not prohibit FGM, but Dukureh argues this is irrelevant, saying “we know that it is harmful, we know that it is wrong.” Dukureh, herself a survivor of FGM and child marriage, lost her sister of just one week old to FGM. Dukureh has worked tirelessly to educate governments and lawmakers on how harmful FGM is. She has also worked to educate and empower women to make informed decisions about their bodies and their daughters’.
FGM has dangerous physical and psychological health repercussions. Immediate health problems can include infections or haemorrhage, it can also make childbirth much more dangerous for both mother and baby, increased risk of bleeding due to scar tissue. It is an irreversible practice which can make intercourse very painful and the ability to feel pleasure is taken away. Furthermore, those performing the mutilation are not trained in anatomy and often do not use any form of anaesthetic. The procedure is therefore very dangerous, extremely painful, deeply traumatic and has no health benefits.
The UN Secretary General has expressed deep concern over the direction of women’s rights globally. He declared that we must do more to put an end to FGM, explaining that “Hard-fought progress is being reversed.” As feminists we cannot accept any form of violence against women. A huge battle still remains in The Gambia against FGM with so many in favour of FGM. Imam Badoulie Fatty, a very influential Gambian Islamic leader, has continually spoken out against the FGM ban, most notably paying fines for three women convicted of violating the ban. Imam Fatty’s support of FGM is a clear reminder of how much more needs to be done to change attitudes and give women and girls the bodily autonomy that is their right.