There were jubilant scenes outside the National Assembly in The Gambia in July, when the parliament voted against a bill that would overturn the country’s landmark ban on female genital mutilation (FGM). MPs rejected each of the four clauses within the bill, introduced by MP Almaneh Gibba, prompting the Speaker to stop the proposed law moving forward to a final reading.
Jaha Dukureh, a Gambian activist who was subjected to FGM when she was little more than a week old, said: ‘I am very happy that my country stood on the right side of history and refused to be pressured into hurting future generations of girls.’
