麻豆约拍

A bill seeking to decriminalise female genital mutilation (FGM) in The Gambia has passed its latest parliamentary stage, known as the second reading.

Though FGM was criminalised in The Gambia in 2015, people opposed to the move are seeking to overturn the ban by arguing it violates religious freedom and is against the country's cultural practices.

The bill will now go to a committee of lawmakers in parliament for further consideration.

If the bill passes, The Gambia would become the first country to rollback a ban on FGM.

Survivors and other activists had hoped it would be thrown out, including Fatou Baldeh, an FGM survivor who was present in parliament in Banjul for the vote.

The morning after attending the heated debate in parliament Newsday asked Ms Baldeh - a renowned Gambian women's rights activist who campaigns to end female genital mutilation - how she felt about the attempt to reverse the ban.

"For me, sitting in the parliament - there were survivors [of FGM] in there - it was re-traumatising and survivors were just breaking down hearing these men standing there telling us that FGM does not affect us."

"Gambian women have never challenged anything to such an extent. People are now aware. We've been able to break that culture of silence... where FGM was a complete taboo so there have been successes. And that is what we need to continue."

"Unfortunately these recent conversations have really affected the progress that has been made. So this is actually taking us many steps back. We are going into communities now to talk about FGM and we are being chased out because people think we are there to challenge our culture, our tradition and our religion."

(Pic: Fatou Baldeh; Credit: EPA)

Show less