In a significant victory for the protection of human rights in Gambia, the country's parliament has voted to uphold a landmark law that bans female genital mutilation (FGM). This decision comes amidst attempts by religious groups to repeal the legislation, which, if successful, would have made Gambia the first country in the world to relegalize FGM after criminalizing it.

The Women's (Amendment) Bill 2024, which sought to overturn the ban on FGM, was thoroughly debated in the parliament. However, none of the clauses seeking the repeal of the ban were passed, as confirmed by MP Amadou Camara, the chair of the joint health and gender committee. Parliament Speaker Fabakary Jatta ruled that the bill, which had already passed a second reading four months ago, could not be read a third time and must be rejected. He deemed the legislative process to be exhausted.

FGM was initially outlawed in Gambia in 2015 by former president Yahya Jammeh, who imposed fines and prison sentences of up to three years for perpetrators. However, pro-Islamic groups and lawmakers have consistently pushed back against the criminalization, arguing that female circumcision is a part of Islamic tradition. Opposition leader Mai Ahmad Fatty also defended the practice, claiming that it is circumcision, not mutilation.

The decision to uphold the ban on FGM has been widely celebrated by human rights organizations. Amnesty International described the attempts to revoke the ban as a "backward move" for the protection of human rights in Gambia. According to the United Nations, as of 2020, 73% of Gambian women aged between 15 and 49 years had experienced FGM, with the majority being subjected to the practice before the age of five.

The international community, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, has expressed outrage at the recent attempts to legalize FGM in Gambia. Guterres condemned the practice as "horrific" on Women's Day in March.

Despite the ban, there have been reports of FGM still being performed on children in certain parts of Gambia. Last year, three women were convicted for performing the practice on eight female minors and were ordered to pay fines or face jail time. The fines were reportedly paid by an Islamic cleric. In a tragic case in 2016, two women were charged after a 5-month-old girl died from genital mutilation.

The decision to uphold the ban on FGM in Gambia marks a significant step forward in safeguarding the rights and wellbeing of girls and women in the country. It sends a strong message that the harmful practice will not be tolerated, despite ongoing challenges and opposition.