Parliamentarians within the West African nation voted on Monday to reject a invoice that sought to overturn a 2015 regulation towards the dangerous observe, which entails chopping or eradicating some or the entire exterior feminine genitalia.
FGM is generally carried out on infants and younger women. It will probably inflict extreme speedy and long-term bodily and psychological harm, together with an infection, later childbearing issues, and post-traumatic stress dysfunction.
Dedication to rights and well-being
“Following the vote at the moment by the Nationwide Meeting of The Gambia, we commend the nation’s resolution to uphold the ban on Feminine Genital Mutilation (FGM), reaffirming its commitments to human rights, gender equality, and defending the well being and well-being of women and girls,” the UN officers stated in a joint statement.
“We stay steadfast in our dedication to assist the federal government, civil society, and communities in The Gambia within the battle towards FGM.”
The assertion was issued by Catherine Russell, Government Director of the UN Kids’s Fund (UNICEF); Natalia Kanem, Government Director of the UN Inhabitants Fund (UNFPA); Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-Basic of the World Well being Group (WHO); Sima Bahous, Government Director of UN Women, and Volker Türk. The UN Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights.
Individually, UN Deputy Secretary-Basic Amina Mohammed additionally hailed the choice in a post on social media.
‘Parliament has spoken’: Deputy UN chief
“A monumental achievement by Gambia for his or her girls and women. Parliament has spoken for his or her rights by upholding the regulation banning FGM,” she wrote on X, previously Twitter.
The UN Secretary-Basic’s Particular Consultant on Violence In opposition to Kids, Najat Maalla M’jid, additionally took to the platform to welcome this “key resolution”.
Sustaining the FGM ban aligns with The Gambia’s worldwide and regional commitments to stop dangerous practices towards women and girls, the assertion by the 5 officers stated.
Reward for grassroots efforts
Additionally they recommended the tireless efforts of survivors, activists, civil society organizations, and faith-based teams working to stamp out FGM.
“Upholding the ban helps these grassroots initiatives, that are pivotal in ending all types of violence, together with dangerous practices, towards women and girls and delivering a safer and more healthy future for women and girls in The Gambia and elsewhere,” they stated.
The fragility of progress in direction of ending FGM can’t be overstated as assaults on girls’s and women’ rights in international locations world wide have put hard-won beneficial properties in peril, they burdened.
“In some international locations, developments have stalled or reversed as a result of pushback towards women’ and girls’s rights, instability, and battle, disrupting companies and prevention programmes,” they famous.
Whereas legislative bans are “an important basis for interventions”, the UN officers had been adamant that they alone can not finish FGM. They stated greater than 73 per cent of women and girls aged 15 to 49 in The Gambia have already undergone the observe, many earlier than the age of 5.
‘We should not relaxation’
Current months have emphasised the necessity for continued advocacy to advance gender equality, finish violence towards women and girls, and safe the beneficial properties made to speed up progress to finish FGM, the assertion continued.
“It additionally underscores the significance of partaking with communities and grassroots organizations, working with conventional, political, and non secular leaders, coaching well being staff, and elevating consciousness successfully on the harms attributable to the observe,” they stated.
They burdened that supporting survivors “stays as pressing as ever”, noting that many undergo from long-term bodily and psychological hurt that may consequence from the process, and want complete medical and psychological care to heal.
Underlining their dedication to assist the Authorities, civil society, and communities in The Gambia, the officers stated “collectively, we should not relaxation till we be certain that all women and girls can reside free from violence and dangerous practices and that their rights, bodily integrity, and dignity are upheld.
