Lawmakers in Gambia had voted this Monday on whether they should unban the FGM law. If this law gets unbanned, it can have harmful consequences to many women living in Gambia.
What is FGM?
FGM is the abbreviation of Female Genital Mutilation. The name itself is answer enough as to why this was banned in the first place. This procedure had been done on very young girls for years before it was banned. The way this is performed is basically removing or cutting off almost all of the external genitalia. Unfortunately, this procedure is not done by professionals so there is no anesthesia given. The person that does this usually uses tools like razors.
This is a very dangerous act since it is usually done in unsanitary conditions and could lead to severe infections for the child. The pain of it all and intense bleeding can even cause death. If the girl survives this painful procedure, she will most likely grow up to have childbirth complications. This unlawful practice was banned in 2015 by Yahya Jammeh which took many activist by surprise as it was done unexpectedly and with no explanation. Unfortunately, enforcement of this law has been very low since it started, as only two cases have been prosecuted.
Gambia Might Unban This Law
On Monday, law makers were going to be deciding whether this ban should stay or if this practice should be done once again. Jaha Dukureh is the founder of Safe Hands for Girls, which is a local group that hopes to end this unnecessary and dangerous FGM practice. She states to have gone through this painful procedure when she was a little girl. She had also unfortunately witnessed her younger sister go through it and bleed to death. “If they succeed with this repeal, we know that they might come after the child marriage law and even the domestic violence law. This is not about religion but the cycle of controlling women and their bodies,” said Dukureh.
This bill is backed up by various religious conservatives in a small nation of only three million people. According to the religion. the FGM practice is done because it will uphold a woman’s purity. The United States has been very supportive of the activists in Gambia trying to stop FGM. More than eighty countries have strict laws prohibiting the practice of this procedure including South Africa, Iran, India, and Ethiopia. “No religious text promotes or condones female genital mutilation,” Said the UNFPA.
What Women Have to Say
Many women are infuriated by this. This is a procedure that is usually done to girls in their infancy. It causes an insane amount of problems such as urinary infections, menstrual problems, depression, low self-esteem, and many more. Jaha Dukureh believes that if FGM ban gets unbanned, it will most likely make it so other laws get unbanned too. Women have been trying so hard for years to have control of their own bodies just for it all to crumble down again. This law can make it so that other laws such as child marriage, and even domestic abuse can be legal once again.
As of right now there are no votes on this topic as the law makers decided they needed to set up more discussions before making a decision. So far it is neither a yes or a no. However, that still leaves a big chance for this law to be unbanned. If this law gets unbanned, Gambia will destroy the little advancements they had made in women’s rights. There is still hope that this law will remain banned. For the sake of all the young girls in Gambia.
Written by Erika P. Cano P.
CBS News: Gambia may become first nation to reverse female genital mutilation ban
AP News: Gambia lawmakers refer the debate on female genital cutting to more committee discussions
Fox News: Gambia lawmakers consider lifting ban on women’s genital mutilation
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Demian Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Marco Verch Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
