On Monday, Gambian lawmakers rejected a bill that would have overturned its ban on female genital mutilation. The vote marks a victory for women’s rights activists and comes after months of intense debate.
Like many countries in Africa, The Gambia has a law criminalizing the practice of female genital mutilation. Now, amid a religious backlash, it could become the first country to repeal its ban.
The United Nations established the Day of the Girl a decade ago to address issues that affect girls' rights: education, teen pregnancy, child marriage. Steady progress has been made. Then came COVID.
Kenya's president pledged to stamp out the practice by 2022. But since the pandemic began, activists say more girls are being cut — and married off afterward.
