Gambia: Female Genital Mutilation - Winning the Argument, Losing the Funding
[IPS] Montevideo, Uruguay -- Last August, a one-month-old girl in The Gambia bled to death after being subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM), a practice that had been illegal in the country since 2015. FGM is a human rights violation, whatever the appeals to faith or tradition made in its defence, but now the Gambian Supreme Court is being asked to strike the country's ban down. This is…
In The Gambia, a one-month-old girl tragically lost her life due to complications from female genital mutilation (FGM), a practice outlawed in the nation since 2015. Despite this, the Gambian Supreme Court is now being approached to overturn the ban; this marks the second attempt in two years to legalize FGM. Civil society groups have previously thwarted repeal efforts, including the Network Against Gender-Based Violence, which engaged survivors, legislators, and religious leaders to challenge the practice.
The fight against FGM is a testament to the fragile nature of rights recognition. While FGM is receding in many countries due to decades of campaigning, sustaining this progress is becoming increasingly difficult as funding dwindles and anti-rights movements gain traction. Over 230 million girls and women globally have undergone FGM, with four million new cases each year.
However, the decline has slowed, with half of the reductions occurring in the last decade. A UNICEF report highlights that attitudes have shifted, with two-thirds of people in practising countries now wanting FGM to end. This change is largely attributed to community activism, such as dialogues, declarations, and door-to-door persuasion by civil society groups.
FGM laws have also been strengthened, with the Economic Community of West African States ruling Sierra Leone in breach of international obligations for failing to criminalize the practice. In India and Colombia, courts have begun addressing religious justifications and banned FGM, respectively. Nonetheless, enforcement remains weak, with only 711 FGM court cases in 2025.
Funding for civil society initiatives supporting FGM prevention has plummeted, with the Joint Programme's budget reduced from $29.6 million in 2024 to $16.3 million in 2025. The UK's flagship programme is being wound down, prioritizing military spending instead. Despite the clear evidence that investing in prevention yields significant returns, political shifts in the global north and the misuse of FGM as a cultural identity issue by far-right parties threaten to reverse progress.
The target of eliminating FGM by 2030, set in the Sustainable Development Goals, is now out of reach. However, the proven strategies for community-led change remain effective, prompting the question of whether governments committed to human rights will continue to fund these organizations or allow a new generation of girls to suffer the consequences of this harmful practice.
Written by urgent.news from AllAfrica Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
