Gambia Seeks to Repeal Law Banning Female Genital Mutilation
The Gambia is taking its fight against female genital mutilation (FGM) back to court, with a group of religious leaders and an MP launching efforts to overturn a ban on the practice in the country's supreme court. The move comes after two babies died as a result of FGM in 2023, highlighting the ongoing struggles against women's rights globally.
A coalition led by Almameh Gibba, a Muslim leader, has filed a case arguing that the law violating the Gambians' constitutional right to cultural and religious freedoms is unconstitutional. The court has heard from two witnesses so far, including Abdoulie Fatty, who claimed that female circumcision was part of Islam and not harmful.
Meanwhile, Sierra Leone's president, Julius Maada Bio, recently signed into law a child rights act in July which did not ban FGM. Activists say this move is part of a new wave of attacks on women's rights worldwide. In Afghanistan, the Taliban has been eroding any rights women had before seizing power, while in Iran, women are key targets of the regime.
Reports from Equality Now highlight increasing pressure on civil society organisations under repressive laws in countries such as India and Kyrgyzstan, with government bodies responsible for advancing women's rights being dismantled in South Korea and Argentina.
The Gambia has one of the highest rates of FGM in the world, with almost three-quarters of women between 15 and 49 having undergone the practice. The country's law against FGM was introduced in 2015 but went unenforced until recently.
The Gambia is taking its fight against female genital mutilation (FGM) back to court, with a group of religious leaders and an MP launching efforts to overturn a ban on the practice in the country's supreme court. The move comes after two babies died as a result of FGM in 2023, highlighting the ongoing struggles against women's rights globally.
A coalition led by Almameh Gibba, a Muslim leader, has filed a case arguing that the law violating the Gambians' constitutional right to cultural and religious freedoms is unconstitutional. The court has heard from two witnesses so far, including Abdoulie Fatty, who claimed that female circumcision was part of Islam and not harmful.
Meanwhile, Sierra Leone's president, Julius Maada Bio, recently signed into law a child rights act in July which did not ban FGM. Activists say this move is part of a new wave of attacks on women's rights worldwide. In Afghanistan, the Taliban has been eroding any rights women had before seizing power, while in Iran, women are key targets of the regime.
Reports from Equality Now highlight increasing pressure on civil society organisations under repressive laws in countries such as India and Kyrgyzstan, with government bodies responsible for advancing women's rights being dismantled in South Korea and Argentina.
The Gambia has one of the highest rates of FGM in the world, with almost three-quarters of women between 15 and 49 having undergone the practice. The country's law against FGM was introduced in 2015 but went unenforced until recently.
FGM = Forced Muh-Mu-MA-NT!!! 
[GIF of a girl cutting off her hair with scissors] 
And the Taliban is like "Hey, let's go back to the dark ages... again" 
i cant beleev ppl stil think FGM donts haram or somethin 
its just soooo sad 2 hear bout all these new attacks on womens rights like afghanistan & iran r literally makin lives even harder 4 them. south korea & argentina got it right dissolving gov bodies 2 advanc womens rights u go girl!!
, you know what? I think we should all learn from the example of Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio - he took a step forward by signing that child rights act without even banning FGM! It makes me think, sometimes progress isn't always about pushing for change, but also about giving space and time to let things unfold. We can't force everyone into doing what we think is right, we need to understand and respect each other's differences. And btw, it reminds me of this life lesson I learned once - that true strength lies not in trying to control others, but in learning from them 
. It's like, I get that cultural practices are important but not at the cost of women's lives or rights 
. And what really gets me is that some people are trying to say that FGM is part of Islam... um no 
, it's just a super outdated and painful practice that has nothing to do with any faith. We need to stand up for these women who are fighting against this and support them in their rights 
. I mean, Sierra Leone signed a child rights act without banning FGM... what's the message there? 
the government should focus on protecting the rights of women instead of just looking at cultural freedoms... FGM is a form of violence against women, its like saying we're gonna allow child labor because its part of our culture 
I mean, what about the girls who get hurt or even die from it? shouldn't their lives be prioritized over some ancient practice? and btw, Sierra Leone's new law doesn't ban FGM either... isn't that kinda contradictory?
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i mean im not saying it cant be good for u, but sometimes im just like why wouldnt u want the taste of cow milk in ur cereal lol anyway, back to the gambia thing. idk about these ppl trying to overturn the law on fgm... didnt they know its like super painful and can lead to infection?? 
... I mean, I know some ppl might think FGM is a cultural thing and all that, but like, come on 
, but still so many places where women are being oppressed 
, almost 3/4 of women have gone thru FGM... it's crazy how far we've come & yet we're still seeing this kind of thing happen 
. Two babies died from FGM in 2023, can't we just leave them alone? 