Kumba Leigh

Story: The story explores the deeply contested debate over Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) in The Gambia, where cultural tradition, religious interpretation, medical evidence, and human rights collide. It traces the history of the practice, its many forms, including the painful and often hidden form of sealing, and the devastating health and psychological consequences faced by survivors. Drawing on global health definitions from the World Health Organization, testimonies from medical experts, religious scholars with opposing views, lawmakers, activists, and survivors themselves, the piece captures the tension between preserving cultural identity and protecting the rights and health of women and girls. It highlights the current political storm as Gambian lawmakers consider repealing the 2015 ban on FGM, a move championed by some parliamentarians as a defense of religion and tradition, but condemned by activists and human rights defenders as a dangerous regression. Survivors’ testimonies, such as that of Mariam Ceesay who endured both circumcision and sealing, expose the lasting trauma, pain, and medical complications tied to the practice. Meanwhile, activists like Jaha Dukureh warn that repealing the law risks erasing years of progress and undermining The Gambia’s global human rights commitments. Framed against global data showing a rise to 230 million women and girls affected by FGM worldwide, this story positions The Gambia’s debate not just as a national controversy, but as part of a larger struggle over women’s bodily autonomy, cultural resilience, and the clash between tradition and modern human rights.

Published in: October 17, 2025