Joining Forces Coalition calls for the immediate halt of the plan to repeal anti-FGM/C law in The Gambia

On March 18, 2024, The Gambia's parliament initiated a bill to repeal the country's anti-female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) law which protects and criminalises the practice of FGM/C in the country. In an initial vote, 42% of the deputies present voted to repeal the 2015 law banning FGM/C. The Joining Forces Coalition in West and Central Africa condemns in the strongest terms harmful practices such as excision which is also internationally recognised as gender-specific child abuse and constitutes a major infringement to the bodily autonomy of women and girls.

FGM/C is a brutal violation of human rights and of the physical and moral integrity of girls and women, bringing no health benefits for girls and women, only danger and long-term consequences on their lives. This potential decision to reverse the ban will have very serious consequences for girls.

This repeal not only threatens the well-being and rights of Gambian girls but also risks undermining regional efforts against FGM/C and other issues like child marriage affecting collective progress across West and Central Africa. We strongly call on decision-makers in The Gambia to respect the country's international obligations, particularly the African Union's Maputo Protocol on Women's Rights, which the country ratified in 2005.