Gambia Bans Female Genital Mutilation

The Gambian government has placed  a ban on Female Genital Mutilation commonly called female circumcision .

Information Minister, Sheriff Bojang, on Tuesday in Banjul announced the order by President Yahya Jammeh, which came into force immediately.

More than 130 million women in Africa and the Middle East are subjected  to female genital mutilation (FGM), which involves cutting female genitalia – often when girls are young – to remove their labia and clitoris, which often leads to lifelong health complications, including bleeding, infections, vaginal pain and infertility.

He said 158 females who carry out circumcision have stopped since a campaign was launched by the Gambia Committee for Traditional Practices.
“In May, the committee urged the National Assembly to heed the call by local chiefs and communities to ban FGM in the country.
 However, he said it  is not clear whether legislation would be put in place to enforce the ban.

 the Gambian government decision , makes the country the twentieth  to have banned the practice in Africa, Nigeria inclusive.