CIVICUS discusses the role of civil society in defeating a recent attempt to make female genital mutilation (FGM) legal in The Gambia with Isatou Touray, co-founder of the Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children (GAMCOTRAP), a leading Gambian women’s and children’s rights civil society organisation.
In July 2024, The Gambia’s National Assembly rejected the Women’s Amendment Bill 2024, which sought to decriminalise FGM, a practice outlawed in 2015. The bill had passed a previous reading with only five National Assembly members opposed but faced strong opposition from Gambian anti-FGM campaigners and international rights groups. The bill was defeated following widespread protests and heated debate. FGM remains illegal and is punishable by up to three years in prison.
