Overview

• The Gambia faces potential repeal of its 2015 ban on female genital mutilation (FGM), stirring widespread concern and protests.
• Mothers and activists are at the forefront of efforts to protect girls from FGM, sharing personal stories of trauma and advocating for the ban's preservation.
• Legislators who support lifting the ban cite religious and cultural freedoms, while rights groups emphasize the practice's harm to women's physical and mental health.
• Despite the ban, FGM continues secretly, with a recent increase in prevalence among girls under 14 years old.
• The global trend of eroding women's rights is reflected in The Gambia's consideration to allow FGM again, raising fears of reversing hard-won gains in gender equality.