.jpg "NI 550 - Abortion - July, 2024")
It was quite a scene, as man after man stood up to speak in Gambia’s National Assembly during a debate on one of the most private aspects of women’s lives. In March 2024, the male-dominated Assembly – where women have only 8.6 per cent of seats – overwhelmingly voted to repeal a ban on female genital mutilation (FGM).1
The move swiftly undid decades of advocacy which in 2015 had resulted in a law banning FGM, making Gambia the 27th African country to outlaw the practice, with penalties of up to three years in prison or fines equivalent to around $730.
