Case brought by Muslim leaders and MP follows failed 2024 bid and seen as part of global anti-women’s rights backlash
A group of religious leaders and an MP in the Gambia have launched efforts to overturn a ban on female genital mutilation at the country’s supreme court.
The court case, due to resume this month, comes after two babies bled to death after undergoing FGM in the Gambia last year. Almameh Gibba, an MP and one of the plaintiffs, tabled a bill to decriminalise FGM that was rejected by the country’s parliament in 2024.
Activists and lawyers see this as the latest move in a backlash against women’s rights that is eroding gender protections across the world.
Fatou Baldeh, founder of the Gambian rights organisation Women in Liberation & Leadership, said: “FGM is a strong manifestation of violence against women that harms their physical and psychological health.
