Gambia MPs vote to uphold ban on female genital mutilation

Gambian lawmakers on Monday voted to uphold a 2015 ban on female genital mutilation (FGM), rejecting a controversial bill seeking to overturn the law after months of heated debate and international pressure.

Legislators killed the Women's (Amendment) Bill 2024 by voting against all the proposed amendments to the 2015 text which would have decriminalized the practice. 

Had MPs voted in favor, the West African country would have become the first in the world to overturn an FGM ban according to the United Nations.

AFP