Gambian lawmakers voted on Monday to advance to the next parliamentary stage a highly controversial bill that seeks to lift a ban on female genital mutilation (FGM)
Gambian lawmakers have voted on a bill seeking to lift the ban on female genital mutilation (fgm). the highly controversial bill now moves to the next parliamentary stage
The speaker announced that the lawmakers voted 42 in favour, not in favor 4 abstention 0 …
The bill has been moved for committee review for at least 3 months, before returning for a third reading.
One of the lawmakers said “The current ban of female circumcision is a direct violation of citizens’ right to practice their culture and religion as guaranteed by the 1997 constitution, Honorable speaker given the Gambian predominantly is a Muslim population and the law is inconsistent with the aspiration of the majority of the people, it should be reconsidered. Female circumcision is a culturally significant practice supported by Islam values and tradition.”
Meanwhile infront of the parliament were hundreds of women gathered in a protest both for and against the bill. The ban on FGM has been in place in the muslim majority country since 2015.
UNICEF says 76% of Gambian women aged 15 to 49 have undergone the cut. The UN describes fgm as the partial or total removal of the genitalia and this procedure is done for non medical reasons.
This procedure can lead to alot of medical complications like infection, infertility, bleeding ,childbirth complications and impairs sexual pleasure.
Anti fgm activist Jaha Dukureh underwent FGM and watched her sister bleed to death following the intervention. The UN rights office has called for the bill to be withdrawn.
