ALBAWABA - Gambia is expected to be the first country to reverse the decision that bans female genital mutilation (FGM), which was approved in 2015. Under the law, any person engaged in female genital cutting face up to three years in jail.
Gambia parliament members have postponed voting on the decision to reverse the ban on FGM to three months amid controversy in the county.
Many took to social media to condemn the decision to vote on the FGM rule which many referred to as a reverse in women's rights in Gambia. Moreover, FGM is usually done on girls under the age of 5 as many allegedly say it is to control their sexual needs.
Activists also warned that lifting the ban is a failure against years of work towards a country towards a positive women's environment considering that FGM according to UN Women is a "traditional cultural practice and a form of violence against women."
On the other hand, some people rallied in front of the parliament on Monday in support of a repeal of the ban, AFP said.
AP reported citing Jaha Dukureh, the founder of Safe Hands for Girls, that she is afraid if this decision was reversed the parliament would undo more other laws that were found to protect women.
A report released by the UN Children's Agency (UNICEF) in 2021 shows that 76 percent of Gambian women aged between 15 and 49 have undergone FGM.
