A well-known international advocate against female genital mutilation (FGM) in the Gambia, Jaha Marie Dukureh, criticized the legislators who voted in favor of the proposal to abolish the country’s ban on the practice and said they should be ashamed of themselves.

On Monday, she responded to the proposal made by the Honorable Sulayman Saho to take into consideration lifting the ban on FGM in the Gambia on Twitter.
“You should all feel ashamed of yourself. FGM is wrong and dangerous. That’s how easy it is. And once more, the males are in our muffins,” she said.

“Today! Sulayman Saho of Badibu, a member of the National Assembly of the Gambia, asked that the legislation against FGM be changed since people don’t want to imprison their mothers and sisters but are okay with injuring and occasionally killing young girls, according to Jaha.

Jaha refuted Hon. Saho’s assertion that finance from the West was a factor in the law’s passage. She urged all organizations that support development, such as the World Bank, USAID, the European Union, and USAID to take action against nations that put destructive behaviors against women and girls ahead of culture. Because of this action by the lawmakers, Jaha stated that she regrets not having run in the most recent parliamentary election.
We need a lot more people in that National Assembly, and I’m kicking myself right now for not running for Halifa’s seat when he left the House of Representatives.