The death of a one-month-old girl in The Gambia has reignited alarm over the persistence of female genital mutilation (FGM) in the country, despite years of advocacy and a legal ban in place since 2015.
Police confirmed the infant was circumcised in the western town of Wellingara before being rushed to Bundung Maternal and Child Prosperity Clinic, where she was pronounced dead on arrival. Two women alleged to have carried out the procedure are now in custody as investigations continue.
FGM has been outlawed in The Gambia for nearly a decade, with offenders facing up to three years in prison, or life if the victim dies. Yet the practice remains widespread. UNICEF estimates that 73% of Gambian women and girls aged 15 to 49 have undergone FGM, with Amnesty International noting that most are cut before the age of six.
Women’s rights organisations in the country have condemned the latest death. The Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice urged the government to step up awareness campaigns and apply the law more rigorously. Women in Leadership and Liberation (WILL) was more scathing, accusing authorities of “failing to protect children” and warning: “Culture cannot be an excuse, tradition cannot serve as a shield; this is violence, plain and straightforward.”
The tragedy highlights a wider struggle. Globally, more than 200 million women and girls have been subjected to FGM across 31 countries, according to the UN Population Fund. While prevalence is declining in some regions, the practice remains deeply entrenched in others. In Djibouti, Guinea and Somalia, the majority of women aged 15 to 49 are still forced to undergo it, perpetuated by entrenched cultural pressures.
Health experts stress that FGM has no medical benefit and can cause lifelong physical and psychological harm. In The Gambia, the consequences proved immediate and fatal.
Activists argue that laws alone are insufficient. “The Wellingara case shows that FGM is not a relic of the past—it is a current public health and human rights crisis,” said one women’s rights advocate. “Without political will, community education, and international solidarity, more girls will continue to die.”
By Caleb Koyo-
From Nairobi