Gambia's Ongoing Debate Over Female Genital Cutting Ban

Lawmakers in Gambia have sent for further committee discussions a bill that seeks to reverse the 2015 ban on female genital cutting, a practice often performed on girls under age 5. Activists fear that lifting the ban would undermine years of work to protect girls and women, and worry that other laws safeguarding women’s rights could be repealed next. The bill is backed by religious conservatives and aims to uphold religious purity and safeguard cultural norms and values, but opponents argue that the practice causes harm and has no benefit. If the bill eventually passes through parliament, President Adama Barrow is expected to sign it into law.