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2024-05-04 Africa Subsaharan
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The united fight against The Gambia's repeal of law banning FGM
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[NEWARAB] The Gambia
... The Gambia is actually surrounded by The Senegal on all sides but its west coast. It has a population of about 1.7 million. The difference between the two is that in colonial days Senegal was ruled by La Belle France and The Gambia (so-called because there's only one of it, unlike Guinea, of which there are the Republic of Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, New Guinea, the English coin in circulation between 1663 and 1813, and Guyana, which sounds like it should be another one) was ruled by Britain...
is under scrutiny as its politicians have advanced a bill to repeal the ban on Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) in the West African country.
The Gambia’s politicians have justified their decision to repeal the procedure for reasons including religious purity and safeguarding cultural norms.
The bill has been referred to a parliamentary committee and is expected to return to parliament in June for a debate and final vote.
"FGM is not mandated by any religion," Divya Srinivasan, Global Lead for End Harmful Practices at the NGO Equality Now told The New Arab.
If the bill is passed, it could have catastrophic impacts.
"The Gambia’s legacy as a pioneer in West Africa in the fight against FGM will be jeopardised if this bill is passed," Divya explained.
The repeal of the ban "would undermine its credibility and unravel years of progress in promoting gender equality and human rights
One man's rights are another man's existential threat.
," she added.
The impacts could be felt elsewhere. "Other countries could be motivated to repeal their anti-FGM laws or deter them from putting laws in place," said Divya.
UNICEF released data in March 2024, stating 230 million girls and women around the world have experienced a form of FGM/C.
Africa accounts for the majority of incidences, exceeding 144 million; Asia has over 80 million, and the Middle East has a further six million. 
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Posted by Fred 2024-05-04 00:00||
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