Monrovia — A prominent campaigner against female genital mutilation urged Gambian MPs not to reverse the 2015 ban that the country's former president Yahya Jammeh signed into law. Jaha Dukureh, founder of the women's rights group Safe Hands For Girls in Gambia said genital cutting is of"no medical value" to women, and is a human rights violation.
Dukureh, a former UN Goodwill Ambassador for women, was one of several leading Gambian activists presenting during a parliamentary committee hearing on Thursday, May 23.proposing to remove the ban. The Bill sponsors argue that the law in its present form violates the country's cultural norms and religious beliefs. Gambians are predominantly Muslims. On this, Dukureh said:"We are advocating for equity, which is what Allah tells us".
The former goodwill ambassador said women and girls are the ones affected and should therefore have a greater say in the ongoing conversation, while understanding the sensitive nature of the subject."It is not for a guy to tell me I am wrong ", she said, in an apparent reference to the country's male-dominated parliament.
Rights groups warned that reversing the law would undermine the progress made in ending the practice. In April Human Rights Watchthat the proposed law would not only legitimize FGM in Gambia, but could also"encourage similar measures elsewhere in the region".). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material,, representing a diversity of positions on every topic.
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