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Posted - 13 Aug 2025 : 16:28:35
Alleged FGM related death sparks national outcry, demand for justice
The Point: Aug 13, 2025
By: Isatou Ceesay Bah
https://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/headlines/alleged-fgm-related-death-sparks-national-outcry-demand-for-justice
The death of an infant allegedly linked to Female Genital Mutilation or Cutting (FGM/C), a practice criminalised since 2015 has ignited a wave of outrage, with women’s right advocates, National Human Rights Commission, and political leaders calling it a “national disgrace” and a brutal reminder that “culture must never” be used as a shield for violence.
Lawmaker Touma Njai told The Point that the death was “directly linked” to FGM and stressed that The Gambia, as a signatory to multiple human rights conventions, has a legal and moral duty to protect women and children.
“It is deeply disturbing that people continue to flout the law, inflicting harm on women and children even to the point of taking a life,” she said, urging a full investigation, prosecution, and enforcement of maximum penalties.
The Women’s (Amendment) Act 2015 leaves no room for doubt: anyone convicted of performing FGM faces three years in prison or a D50,000 fine or both. If the act causes death, the sentence is life imprisonment.
Njai said cultural heritage cannot be used to justify a practice that kills.
Women in Liberation and Leadership (WiLL) condemned the tragedy as both a personal and systemic failure. Citing police report, the group said the child was allegedly circumcised, suffered massive bleeding, and died upon arrival at Bundung Maternal and Child Health Hospital. “Culture is no excuse. Tradition is no shield. This was violence pure and simple,” WiLL said, demanding that every perpetrator and enabler face justice.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) described the death as a grave violation of the child’s right to life, dignity, and protection from torture. They stressed that FGM causes severe, irreversible harm and is banned under The Gambia’s Constitution, the Women’s Act, the Children’s Act, and numerous international treaties, including the Maputo Protocol and the Convention Against Torture.
Commending the Gambia Police Force for swift action, the NHRC urged the Inspector General of Police to ensure a thorough investigation and prosecution, while calling on the government to intensify community education campaigns. “No cultural or traditional justification can override the duty to protect children from harm,” the Commission stated. |
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