GAMBIA UPHOLDS FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION BAN

In a major win for women’s rights. Gambia’s parliament has rejected calls to decriminalise female genital mutilation (FGM).

It was made illegal in 2015, but earlier this year a male MP tabled a bill to lift the ban, amid claims it was an attack on the country’s culture. However, parliamentarians overwhelmingly voted against his proposal on July 15th.

The result’s been welcomed by rights activists who say FGM violates the dignity of women, although it’s still practiced widely across the country. According to UNICEF, about 73 percent of Gambian girls and women between the ages of 15 and 49 have undergone FGM.