Dozens of skin bleachers and vendors of bleaching creams are ranting on the last month ban placed on skin bleaching and the sales of the creams in the country.
They voiced out their rejection on parliament’s decision to uphold ban on bleaching in the country while they (skin bleachers) described the ban as violation to their rights.
Meanwhile, the ban was first introduced in 1996 by the then President Yahya Jammeh.
“This is a human rights violation and failure of lawmakers to handle responsibilities as they have many issues to solve in this country rather choosing skin bleaching,” one of the bleachers said.
Lamin Sarra cosmetics vendor said: “the National Assembly members have no rights to interfere in people’s personal life,” adding that “their job is to make laws on the illegal affairs of the state but not to make laws on citizens personal lives.”
“There are so many illegal actions and activities going on in this country and the biggest one is corruption in all government sectors which includes the Lawmakers but they will never talk about that. I therefore challenge them to their decision because it is not going to be possible,” he said
Skin bleaching is not something new, he added, saying “we found it here and I have never seen anyone in this country that suffers from skin cancer due to skin bleaching.”
Hendry Ngoso another cosmetics vendor “I’m not a Gambia but the fact that the ban has a huge impact on my business, it definitely makes me sad and I against the decision of the Lawmakers because they shouldn’t decide what people should put on their skin or control businesses.’
“I think the least bill they should table is skin bleaching because it has a connection to human rights. I own my skin and my money so no one gets the authority to say what I should put on my skin or on what to spend my money,” he disclosed.
“The lawmakers should come up with something different and if they want to see black colour skin glowing in this country then let them start importing machines and start manufacturing creams in this country,” Aminah Sohna said.
She urged lawmakers to be mindful of the decisions they throw on air, “as they never put citizens in picture before taking decisions even consider the impact of their decisions on the masses which is totally wrong, because our votes give them power.”