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sab
United Kingdom
912 Posts |
 Posted - 10 Apr 2013 : 22:42:28
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CRINMAIL 1322
Gambia set to ban female genital mutilation.
Gambia’s Parliament is set to pass a law later this year banning female genital mutilation (FGM) of girls. Those who perform the practice on a girl under the age of 18 will face a 10-year prison sentence, and if FGM results in the death of a girl or if she suffers a disability or contracts HIV, they will face life imprisonment.
While many African countries already have laws against FGM, activists say these are generally poorly implemented and widely ignored. This is why health education plays a big part, says Isatou Touray, Gambia’s most high-profile campaigner against FGM. She says that Gambia’s proposed law has not been imposed from above, but has emerged out of a grassroots educational campaign that has won widespread support. Since 2007, for example, over 680 communities have abandoned FGM, with over 300 more expected to do the same.
On the often fatal health consequences of FGM, Touray says that the communities “thought if a woman died or had problems in childbirth it was caused by witchcraft, but now we understand it is caused by the cutting.”
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The world would be a poorer place if it was peopled by children whose parents risked nothing in the cause of social justice, for fear of personal loss. (Joe Slovo - African revolutionary) |
Edited by - sab on 10 Apr 2013 23:31:03 |
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toubab1020
12236 Posts |
Posted - 11 Apr 2013 : 00:20:53
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This proposed law is obviously a good law and its implementation has been brought about over a considerable period of time,this has been necessary because FGM has been a traditional practice and become accepted as a part of culture over many years therefore to make an instant law changing things overnight would not have been accepted by the people and it would be almost impossible to police and enforce.Those who have been primemovers in bringing about this change have done so in a very skilled way,by education,discussion,highlighting health risks,and taking into account the loss of livelihood of tradition cutters.I only hope that all the citizens in every part of Gambia have had exposure to the sensitisation that has been so important in bringing about this change,backed of course by the administrations wish to bring about gender equality.
I sincerely hope that now is the right time to ensure that FGM is consigned to the history of Gambia |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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toubab1020
12236 Posts |
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