By: Nyima Sillah
The Former Executive Director of the Women’s Bureau, Aja Binta Jammeh-Sidibeh, has expressed optimism that the FGM law would not be repealed.
“I am hopeful that this private members bill that was passed will not be voted into and will not go to the third reading, based on what I observed on Monday as the majority of the NAM voted in favor of the report to be adopted which is very good,” Aja Sidibeh told The Voice on Tuesday following the adoption of the joint committee’s report on FGM/C on Monday.
She added: “This is something I am personally concerned about because I was the Executive Director of the Women’s Bureau when this bill was passed as part of the 2010 Women Act and this was an amendment to the Act of 2010. This was in 2015 by then I was the executive director of the Women’s Bureau and I worked with the Ministry of Justice to ensure that this bill was passed at the parliament.”
The Women Bureau’s erstwhile executive director stated that she was “really” involved from the beginning of the process and seeing that the law wants to be repealed by the lawmakers, is a great concern for her.
She further expressed confidence that the bill would not be repealed and she is hopeful that the Bill on the criminalization of FGM would stay as it is and that parliament would not vote to repeal it.
