Even in the 21st century, women in certain regions continue to face the harrowing challenge of protecting themselves from the brutality of female genital mutilation (FGM). Hundreds of thousands of women have endured various forms of FGM, with millions more at risk each year, highlighting an ongoing global concern for women’s rights and bodily autonomy.
The data shows that there has been a global increase of 15 percent in the number of girls and women affected, now totaling over 230 million worldwide. This is a significant rise compared to the figures released eight years ago.
Third-world nations have borne the greatest burden, with African countries experiencing over 144 million cases, followed by more than 80 million in Asia and over 6 million in the Middle East.
For instance, Gambia, a small West African nation, recently rejected a bill seeking to overturn a 2015 ban on female genital mutilation (FGM). Fabakary Tombong Jatta, the Speaker of Parliament, noted that a majority of MPs had already voted against the bill even before its third and final reading, scheduled for later this month.
After the voting process, the speaker said: “The [National] Assembly cannot be engaged in such a futile exercise as to allow the bill to proceed to a third reading.”
The lawmakers successfully upheld the 2015 ban on female genital mutilation after months of controversy and international pressure. Human rights groups and the United Nations had urged MPs to block the bill, which was introduced in March under pressure from some Muslim clerics.
The Gambia is still among the ten countries with the highest rates of female genital mutilation (FGM), with 73 percent of women and girls aged 15 to 49 having undergone the procedure. This alarming statistic highlights the persistent prevalence of FGM in the country, despite ongoing efforts to combat the practice.
Women’s (Amendment) Bill 2024
The Women’s (Amendment) Bill 2024, introduced in March, aimed to decriminalize the practice of female circumcision. It passed its second reading in the same month, with only five out of 53 lawmakers voting against it.
By doing so, it would repeal the provision in the Women’s Act that explicitly prohibits FGM, which aligns with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Thus, raising concerns among rights groups that The Gambia would become the first nation to reverse a ban on the practice.
The landmark 2015 prohibition on FGM made the practice punishable by up to three years in prison for perpetrators, with life sentences if a girl dies as a result. The procedure involves the partial or total removal of the female external genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs and can lead to serious health issues including infections (as the practice rarely has medical assistance), bleeding, infertility, and complications in childbirth.
The bill was introduced by MP Almameh Gibba, who argued that “female circumcision” is a deep-rooted cultural and religious practice. However, anti-FGM campaigners and international rights groups countered that it constitutes a severe violation of the rights of women and girls. Hence, the MPs rejected each of the four clauses of the bill.
Additionally, the World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes that FGM has no health benefits and can result in excessive bleeding, shock, psychological problems, and even death.
How does the international community react?
The Executive Directors of prominent UN agencies, including UNICEF, UNFPA, and UN Women, have issued a joint statement, mentioning that “the Women’s (Amendment) Act, 2015 – a pivotal milestone in advancing gender equality – is the culmination of years of advocacy, community engagement, and education aimed at eradicating this harmful practice and meeting the Sustainable Development Goals targets (5.3). It is, therefore, crucial that these legal protections remain in place.”
Further, recognizing this “critical decision by the national parliament, we commend the tireless efforts of survivors, activists, civil society organizations, and faith-based groups working to end FGM.”
“Upholding the ban supports these grassroots initiatives, which are pivotal in ending all forms of violence, including harmful practices, against girls and women and delivering a safer and healthier future for girls and women in the Gambia and elsewhere.”
However, as MP Almameh Gibba stated, many communities in Gambia use religion or tradition to justify the practice. Nonetheless, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is not mandated by Islamic Law, nor is it part of the Prophetic traditions or regarded as an honorable act.