Government in The Gambia has announced it is to immediately ban the practice of female genital mutilation in the country.
According to a UNICEF report from 2013, 76% of women in the country had been subjected to the procedure which involves the removal of a woman’s labia and clitoris.
As recently as 2013 there had been pressure on the government from various organisations to curb the practice.
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Gambian President Yahyah Jemmeh: Source – Wikipedia
This procedure is often performed on younger girls and children and there have been calls for many years to stop the practice, as it can cause lifelong health problems including infections and infertility.
Mary Wandia, the FGM programme manager at women’s rights campaign group Equality Now spoke to The Guardian:
“A law must now be enacted and properly implemented to ensure that every girl at risk is properly protected. The government needs to show strong commitment and prioritise this issue in a country where three quarters of women have been affected and reductions in prevalence have been slow to materialise.”
The Gambia is the latest to put a ban on the practice, following countries such as Nigeria and Egypt.
