Gambian baby's death reignites debate on female genital mutilation

Activists are calling for justice in Gambia after the death of a baby who was allegedly subjected to female genital mutilation, a widespread but illegal practice that is being reviewed by the country's Supreme Court.

Gambia has one of the highest rates of female genital mutilation in the world: 73% of women and girls between the ages of 15 and 49 have undergone the procedure, according to 2024 data from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

The baby was pronounced dead on arrival at a hospital in the capital, Banjul, after having “allegedly undergone a circumcision” that resulted in severe bleeding, Gambia Police said in a statement issued on Sunday.

The death sparked outrage among women's rights advocates who fight against this deeply rooted cultural and religious practice, which they believe constitutes a violation of women and girls.

"Female genital mutilation is not a cultural tradition that should be defended, it is a form of gender-based violence that can kill," said Santana Simiyu, a human rights lawyer with the group Equality Now, in a statement sent to AFP on Tuesday.

Two suspects have been arrested, police said, while an investigation is underway in the town of Wellingara (west), where the incident occurred.

Female genital mutilation was banned in 2015 by former Gambian dictator Yahya Jammeh, now in exile, and ratified that same year with a law that punishes those who perform it with up to three years in prison. However, this penalty is virtually never enforced.

In July 2024, lawmakers revisited the issue and upheld the 2015 legislation, despite pressure from religious traditionalists. But the ban was immediately challenged in the Supreme Court, where the petition remains pending.

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