Gambia's fight over female genital cutting intensifies amid legal and political battles
Despite a 2015 ban, female genital mutilation (FGM) remains widespread in Gambia, with activists, politicians and courts divided over its future.
Female genital mutilation, outlawed in Gambia since 2015, continues to be practiced largely in rural areas using rudimentary tools, often without anesthesia, leading to chronic infections, pain and complications during sex and childbirth. A UN assessment from 2022 highlighted the practice's persistence, and a tragic infant death after a cutting procedure in August 2025 underscored the danger. Legal penalties can reach three years in prison and fines of up to 50,000 Dalasi, yet the first court case in 2023 resulted only in a reduced fine of 15,000 Dalasi.
In March 2024, MP Almameh Gibba attempted to repeal the ban, arguing religious and cultural justification, but the parliament ultimately voted to retain the law. The ban's future now hinges on a court review that will examine whether it conflicts with constitutional guarantees of religious freedom and tradition.
Why it matters
The outcome will affect the health and rights of millions of Gambian women and shape the country's cultural and legal landscape.
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