Gambian lawmakers have voted to uphold a 2015 ban on female genital mutilation (FGM), rejecting a controversial bill that sought to overturn the law after months of heated debate and international pressure.
The Women’s (Amendment) Bill
2024, which aimed to decriminalize the practice of female circumcision, passed
its second reading in March with only five out of 53 lawmakers voting against
it. This raised concerns among rights groups that The Gambia might become the
first country to reverse a ban on the practice.
The bill has deeply divided
public opinion in the Muslim-majority West African country. Introduced by MP
Almameh Gibba, the text of the bill declared that “female circumcision” is a
deep-rooted cultural and religious practice. However, anti-FGM campaigners and
international rights groups argue that it is a harmful violation against women
and girls.
The landmark 2015 ban on FGM
made the practice punishable by up to three years in prison.
On Monday, lawmakers voted on
each of the bill’s clauses before a third and final reading scheduled for July
24, with a majority voting against each clause. This prompted National Assembly
Speaker Fabakary Tombong Jatta to stop the bill from moving forward to the
final reading.
“The National Assembly cannot
be engaged in such a futile exercise as to allow the bill to proceed to a third
reading,” Jatta said after the votes.
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