By: Momodou Justice Darboe
The Gambian leader Adama Barrow has said the Gambia government’s commitment to the implementation of laws against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) remains unchanged.
Despite falling short of laying greater emphasis on the government’s anti-FGM stance in his State of the Nation Address at the Gambia’s legislature on Thursday, Mr. Barrow hinted that his administration would continue to be steadfast in employing the laws against the traditional practice.
“Honourable Speaker, noteworthy is the Private Member Bill to repeal the Women’s Amendment Act 2015 currently under review by the Legislature. While awaiting its outcome, Government remains committed to enforcing the prohibition of FGM in The Gambia,” Mr. Barrow told Gambians.
The National Assembly is currently dissecting the Private Member Bill for the repeal of the Women’s Amendment Act 2015 and fears have been raised in a lot of quarters, regarding the fate of the bill.
Earlier indications were that a decent number of National Assembly Members were not averse to the bill introduced by the Foni Kansala NAM Almamy Gibba.
Women’s rights activists have sharply criticized the bill which, if passed into law and assented to by the President, could see a reversal of several years of gains made in the fight against the partial or total cutting of female genitalia and could expose thousands of girls to a myriad of health complications.
