Gambia keeps ban on female genital cutting after fears it would return

In Gambia, the National Assembly rejected a bill that would have repealed the ban on female genital cutting, marking a victory for women's rights advocates. The bill had sparked widespread concern that Gambia could be the first country to roll back protections against the practice. The decision came after a massive education campaign by activists, doctors, and survivors, who argued that the practice is unnecessary and potentially harmful. Proponents of the repeal claimed that families should be free to choose and that the practice was taught by the prophet Muhammad, although other Muslim leaders have condemned it. Since the practice was made illegal in Gambia in 2015, only three people have been prosecuted under the law, with the UN estimating that 75% of women ages 15 to 49 have been subject to the practice. The backlash against the convictions led to the introduction of the repeal bill. One of the imams behind the bill vowed that cutting would continue in Gambia and threatened to target those who voted against the bill in upcoming elections.