ABSTRACT

The Gambian National Assembly has recently voted to repeal the ban on female genital mutilation (FGM), which had been in effect since 2015. This decision makes the Gambia the first country in the world to reintroduce the practice after previously abolishing it.

The political debate surrounding this issue has centered on whether the ban violates citizens’ rights to practice their religion. This has sparked reactions from national and international organizations concerned that this repeal will undo decades of efforts to end the practice of female circumcision.

Within Islamic law, some attribute a justification for this phenomenon based on Sharia sources, but there is no unanimity of interpretation among jurists from different schools of thought.

The debate on FGM in The Gambia thus involves a complex intersection of religious practices and cultural traditions, where the mixing of the two risks overshadowing, if not obliterating, the protection of women’s health and rights.