By Binta Jaiteh
The Chairperson of TANGO, Yadicone Njie Eribo, has asserted that the stance that the CSOs adopted against FGM is irreversible.
She emphasized that CSOs will not slow down in the march toward the total abandonment of female genital cutting in The Gambia. This, she clarified, would be carried out through education, advocacy, and empowerment.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, Madam NjieEribo pointed out that national development will remain elusive if social justice, equality, and the protection of the rights of all citizens are not guaranteed.
“To achieve these, we must abandon harmful practices and beliefs which have lived with us since time immemorial,” she stressed.
To the TANGO chairperson, perpetrators of FGM should be exposed and made to face justice for violating human rights.
She stated: “We are aware of the deep-seated nature of FGM as a longstanding cultural practice. However, it is obvious by now that this is not only a harmful practice but it has no moral, health, or religious value. For far too long,women and girls have been subjected to this practice with the misconceived notion that it is sanctioned by religion, and it has cultural value. Not only Islamic scholars but also health and social experts have amply demonstrated that FGM has clear and direct defects on women and girls in their sexual and reproductive health.”
Madam Njie Eribo urged Gambians to recognize that FGM is illegal, unhealthy, and unnecessary and that itconstitutes harm and disempowerment for women and girls.
“We call on the Gambia Government to step up its obligatory role in ensuring that the practice and promotion of FGM are dealt with according to the law,” she advised.