Gambia's FGM Ban Repeal: A Controversial Battle Resurfaces

Gambia is on the brink of potentially becoming the first country to reverse its ban on female genital mutilation (FGM), a practice outlawed in 2015. Despite widespread rejection by global health authorities, the move has sparked intense debate, with cultural and religious arguments against the ban gaining traction.

For Mariama Jarjou, taking her two daughters to a traditional circumciser was an act of love—a painful but vital ritual for their social status and marital prospects in their village.

In Gambia, an uncut woman is labeled a 'solima' and faces social ostracism. Despite a decade-old ban enacted by former dictator Yahya Jammeh, Jarjou supports a current parliamentary bid to repeal the law, potentially making Gambia the first country to legalize FGM again.

If successful, it would be a historic reversal signaling a significant cultural and religious pushback against Western norms. Activists fear this could inspire similar legislative moves in other African nations facing FGM-related challenges.