Africa News of Tuesday, 16 July 2024
Source: BBC
Gambia’s parliament rejects bill to allow FGM
When it was introduced in March, the bill was approved by a majority of MPs
Gambia’s lawmakers have rejected a bill to overturn the 2015 ban on female genital mutilation (FGM).
Speaker Fabakary Tombong Jatta confirmed that the bill was voted down before its third reading.
Human rights groups and the UN had urged MPs to block the bill, which was initially approved in March under pressure from some Muslim clerics. The Gambia has one of the highest FGM rates, with 73% of women aged 15-49 affected.
The 2015 ban imposes fines and up to three years in jail for offenders, with life sentences if a girl dies. Rights groups warned that lifting the ban would harm progress against violence towards women and girls.
