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Good news for the ladies in Gambia! Their parliament just shot down a bill that would’ve let that messed up FGM thing slide. FGM is basically when you cut up a girl’s private parts, which is totally not cool and thankfully, most of the people in charge there agree. The vote came in and the bill got squashed before it could even get to the final round, which was supposed to happen later this month.
The Politics of It All
So, this big cheese of the parliament, Fabakary Tombong Jatta, went on the record saying the bill was toast. It didn’t even get to the third reading. This bill was someone’s bright idea in March, brought to the table by Almameh Gibba, but it faced a ton of heat from human rights peeps and the UN. They didn’t want to see the ban on FGM go up in smoke.
FGM in Gambia
Now, Gambia’s got one of the highest rates of FGM in the world. Can you believe that? 73% of women and girls between 15 and 49 have gone through it. It’s mostly done in places where Muslims are the majority, like Gambia. And let’s not sugarcoat it – it’s a nasty, life-ruining thing.
The 2015 No-FGM Law
Back in 2015, they had a big win with a law that put the smackdown on FGM. If you got caught doing it, you’d face some serious cash penalties and could even get life in the slammer if a girl didn’t make it through the ordeal. This was a big deal for women’s rights and showed that Gambia’s not playing around with gender-based violence.
The Advocacy Crew
Groups like ActionAid were all over this bill, trying to keep it from becoming a thing. Binta Ceesay, who’s the women’s rights manager at ActionAid Gambia, said they’ve been fighting for this ban forever. And it worked! The bill’s dead in the water, which means Gambia’s still on the right track for keeping the ladies safe from this barbaric practice.
The Bigger Picture
So, FGM is banned in over 70 countries, but it’s still happening in places that think it’s part of their culture or something religious. The UN says more than 230 million girls and women have had to go through this. Crazy, right?
What’s Next?
By keeping the ban, Gambia’s letting everyone know they’re serious about protecting their women and girls. But the battle’s not over. We’ve got to keep an eye out and keep pushing to end this crap everywhere.
Keywords:
- Gambia’s FGM ban stays
- No love for female genital cutting
- Human rights win
- Gambian parliament stands firm
- Women’s health and rights
- ActionAid’s role
- UN stats on FGM
- Almameh Gibba’s failed bill
- Fabakary Tombong Jatta’s announcement
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