The Republic of Gambia has been in the news and not for the right reasons. The Gambian Parliamentary is seeking to repeal the anti-FGM ban bill. Lawmaker Almameh Gibba proposed the bill to the house earlier this month stating that the anti-FGM bill violated citizens' right to practice their culture and religion. But is female genital mutilation a religious/ cultural practice? 

Female Genital mutilation refers to all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons (WHO,2021). There are ways FGM can be carried out on females ranging from partial or total removal of the clitoris to cauterizing or scraping the genital area. 

According to research, instead of health benefits, FGM has health consequences. These include severe shock, pelvic infections, infertility, psychosexual problems, difficult menstruation amongst others. 

Prior to 2015, FGM was performed as a rite of passage into womanhood and for the preservation of a girl's virginity. The procedure is often performed by a village excisor. It is also worthy to note that trained health attendants make extra income from being excisors. In fact, they earn significantly higher from performing the procedure than from their work as midwives/nurses. The procedure is often performed without anaesthesia. 

In 2015, President Yahya Jammeh placed a ban on female genital mutilation with a penalty of imprisonment and payment of fine, a move that shocked activists. Although the ban has been in place for 8 years, it was first implemented in August of 2023 when three women were found guilty of commiting FGM on eight infant girls. They were collectively fined $220 which was paid by a Sheikh. 

After this incidence, the highest Islamic body, Supreme Islamic Council condemned the anti-FGM bill stating that FGM "is a virtue of Islam". Seven months later, the anti-FGM ban bill was presented to the house of assembly. 75% of Gambian women aged 15-49 have undergone FGM, a number that has dropped steeply since the ban. 

On Monday, after a debate, the bill was passed into third reading by the committee following a 42-4 vote in favor of sending the bill to the parliamentary committee before taking it to the third reading. Of the four lawmakers who voted against the ban of the anti-FGM bill were the only two female lawmakers. 

"We circumcise, not mutilate"

Asides Islamic groups, prominent Gambians such as the former interior minister, Mai Ahmad Fatty, have also called for the repeal of the landmark ban stating that there is no FGM in Gambia. "We circumcise, not mutilate".

This begs the question- is circumcision the same as mutilation? 

Circumcision is coined from the Latin words "circum" which means around and "caedre" which means to cut. This term is more appropriate for the male reproductive organ as the foreskin, which is removed during male circumcision, is attached to the head of the penis whose shape is round. The vagina, however, is oval. 

There is no health consequence of male circumcision except when the procedure is poorly done. This is a rare occurrence as in many countries the hospital performs the procedure on infants. This reduces the risk of poor management. There are several benefits of male circumcision ranging from health and hygiene to aesthetics. Removal of the foreskin reduces the chances of contracting STI. 

This cannot be said for FGM as it is an illegal practice in many countries of the world. Fingernails have been used to pluck out the clitoris of babies in some areas of Gambia. 

With the aforementioned points, one can see that Fatty's claim of female circumcision is not factual. In fact, the practice only inflicts damage on the female organ thereby making female genital mutilation a more appropriate term for the practice. 

Who are the benefactors of the ban repeal?

It's definitely not the girls and women of Gambia. Vagina sealing makes it difficult for women to enjoy sex and often leads to increased birth mortality. The cons far outweighs its pros which is non-existent. 

However, there is vested interest in continuing this practice in Gambia. 

In 2022, the Gambia's female population amounted to approximately 1.36 million, while the male population amounted to approximately 1.35 million (O'Neil,2024). Although the female to male ratio in Gambia is approximately 1:1, gender equality is a myth. The practice is rooted in misogyny which is no surprise seeing that it is a patriachical society.

Also, the excisors who are either traditional practitioners or trained health attendants will lose their means of livelihood and social status if the anti-FGM bill ban fails to pass. 

Most of these women are older women who believe that the practice should not be abolished but passed down to generations as a part of tradition. 

The sad truth is that they are also victims of this barbaric culture sulture. Culture is a way of life but when culture seems to take lives instead, shouldn't it be changed? Culture is after all dynamic. 

In the words of the award-winning author, Chief Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 'culture does not make people. People make culture. If it is true that the full humanity of women is not our culture, then we can and must make it our culture'.