On Monday, nearly two-thirds of lawmakers in The #Gambia’s National Assembly voted to reject the controversial Women’s Amendment Bill 2024, which proposed to overturn a 2015 ban on the harmful practice of female genital mutilation (#FGM). https://buff.ly/3WpfAc1 2/ The vote defeats months of pressure from conservative Islamic groups and some Gambian lawmakers to relegalize FGM. https://buff.ly/3Vgw71u 3/ In March, The Gambia’s parliament took an initial step to repeal the FGM ban, with a vote of 42 in favor and four against, to forward the bill to a committee for further examination before its third reading.
Human Rights Foundation’s Post
More Relevant Posts
-
Human rights and rule of law advocate. Bar course graduate and Inner Temple scholar. Future pupil barrister.
In this piece for JURIST I explore the Gambian Parliament voting to maintain a 2015 ban on female genital mutilation (FGM), rejecting a controversial bill which sought to reverse the prohibition and legalize the practice. https://lnkd.in/eB4YigQZ
Gambia Parliament keeps 2015 ban on female genital mutilation
jurist.org
-
Introducing the bill to parliament, the MP Almameh Gibba said overturning the ban would “uphold religious loyalty and safeguard cultural norms and values”. Cultural norms and values? Who puts these people in charge? The truth behind FGM: Insecure men who want to "remove" or reduce a woman's ability to experience pleasure during intercourse. This will safeguard his ego against the idea that she may seek pleasure elsewhere or goodness forbid, request pleasure from him. Men, who want to control women - women are useful commodities. They have roles, they serve men and are vessels for men to simply empty their b***s. Cultural norms and values? Oppression, subjugation, control and abuse. There is no value to this behaviour. It serves only a "master" (and only in numbers). Where there is oppression, there will be resistance.
Move to overturn FGM ban in the Gambia postponed
theguardian.com
-
Specialist on global gender, sexuality and human rights research and advocacy. Currently working as Senior Director of Law, Policy & Research at Outright International
Important steps to hold the Ugandan government accountable.
Senior Advisor to the U.S. Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons, U.S. Department of State
FACT SHEET: The United States Response to Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act and Persistent Human Rights Abuses.
FACT SHEET: The United States Response to Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act and Persistent Human Rights Abuses | The White House
whitehouse.gov
-
Bringing a case before the ICJ under CEDAW against the state of Afghanistan for the egregious violations perpetrated against women and girls by the Taliban holds the potential to serve as a crucial platform for Afghan women to assert their rights under international law and amplify their voices on a global stage, where they have often been excluded. Explore our latest Q&A, where we discusses the feasibility and implications of bringing such a case before the ICJ. https://lnkd.in/dXTtHuiZ
Q&A: Bringing a Case Before the International Court of Justice for the Rights of Afghan Women and Girls
justiceinitiative.org
-
Empowerment starts with autonomy over one's body and rights. However, the proposed bill to decriminalize Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) by Gambia's parliament poses a significant threat to women's and girls' progress. We implore the National Assembly of The Gambia to maintain the prohibition on FGM/C and oppose any endeavors aiming to legitimize or tolerate this detrimental practice. Additionally, we urge African governments, feminist advocates and groups, religious and traditional authorities, local communities, and civil society organizations to unite with us in denouncing FGM/C and championing the rights and inherent dignity of every girl and woman. Let's join forces to safeguard their rights. Click the link https://chng.it/c7wpVd9Wjm to sign the petition and lend your voice. #EndFGM #GenderEquality #TakeAction #womensright #womenshealth #globaljustice #humansrights #healthinequality
-
📢 Amazing news from the Gambia! The parliament has rejected the Bill attempting to repeal the anti-FGM ban in the Women’s (Amendment) Act. Equality Now commends the government including the National Assembly for upholding the anti-FGM law and standing with Gambian women and girls to ensure their protection from FGM. Back in August 2023, the Kaur/Kuntaur Magistrates’ Court convicted three women for performing #FGM on eight adolescent girls. This landmark judgment marked the first conviction of its kind since the enactment of the law banning FGM eight years prior. In response to the conviction, in September 2023, religious leaders and select members of parliament initiated public discussions seeking to repeal the Women’s Act to introduce ‘consent’ to FGM for women who wish to go through FGM as part of their culture or religion. The decision by Gambian lawmakers to uphold the Women’s (Amendment) Act is not only commendable but also sets a crucial precedent in the protection of laws against regression. This landmark decision is a beacon of progress and demonstrates Gambia’s commitment to international and regional human rights agreements. We recognize that the law is fundamental in serving as the foundation from which we all draw protections from violations. #EndFGM #WomensRights #HumanRights #ViolenceAgainstWomen #VAWG #GenderEquality #LegalEquality #LegalReform #TheGambia #Africa
-
-
In 2023, #Caribbean countries made progress on implementing measures to guarantee political rights and a life free of violence for women. Find out more about this progress on #HumanRights issues in the state sections of the #AnnualReport2023 👉https://bit.ly/I4CHRAR23
-
ICYMI: A great piece on female defenders in #Ukraine: She is Fighting #WomenInSecurity and National Democratic Institute (NDI)
“She is Fighting”: the Heroes of Ukraine
ndi.org
