FGM law in The Gambia under threat

[nothingcomestonothing]

Apologies for the Guardian link.

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/oct/11/fgm-ban-in-the-gambia-under-threat-as-calls-grow-to-repeal-law

god that's so depressing. And clerics actively seeking to perpetuate mutilation of little girls (it's mostly done when girls are under 5). showing zero empathy for those children.

Debate began in late August after three women were convicted of FGM in the Central River region – the first prosecution under the 2015 law – and ordered to pay a fine of 15,000 dalasi or spend a year in jail.

A few days later, an Islamic cleric paid the fines and encouraged Gambians to continue to practise FGM. The issue was then debated at the national assembly in September, where there were calls to repeal the law.

Very disheartening. Such a barbaric practise with zero justification.

It's areas like this where I wish that UN Women had a strong, decisive, "No", and sufficient levers of power to make it a reality.

Perhaps if they were committed to helping women, rather than waffling on about male lesbians.

Thanks for the share, OP. Horrible to watch helplessly as this goes on.

Clerics and politicians pushing for little girls to be forcibly mutilated and using the women of their communities to do the job. And the UN and all the other captured organisations too busy promoting the wants of the most marginalised and vulnerable™ to do anything about it. I can't imagine it was easy to get the law against FGM passed in the first place, that it might be repealed is beyond depressing.

Absolute bastards.

Well yes,priorities etc.

Useless fuckers.

Where in Islam does Allah say that girls must be mutilated?

What the fuck is wrong with these people who want to mutilate girls’ genitals? 🤬🤬🤬

i suppose this is all just unfathomable to me.

I agree that it would help if we could actually agree that genital mutilation of any kind is something that should only be done for clear medical benefit - not religious, cultural or social reasons.

I am also really saddened by the simple fact that we have got to the position where posters have to apologise for guardian links (as they do daily Mail links). The stupid little ‘not for sale’ box is depressing too - no need to be for sale as they already sold out to North American venture capital.

But why? Why do they want to re-introduce it?

I‘m going to hazard a guess at power and control as the ‘why?’

Can’t have women getting all uppity and letting them grow to adulthood with any basic bodily integrity lis giving them ideas above their station. 😫

Quite. I find it so hard to read testimony like that in the article, from women who have performed FGM because they were taught it was Islamic to do so. It's not. Men using women to control other women.