GWA-FC urges National Assembly to lift ban on Female Circumcision, Others

Team Outpost 

Gambia Women are Free to Choose, (GWA-FC) a pro female circumcision advocacy group have reiterated its support of the Women's Amendment Bill 2003, which seeks to further amend the Women's Act 2010 by repealing sections 32A “Prohibition of Female Circumcision” and 32B Accomplices to Female Circumcision.

“Our organization echoes the vast majority of grassroots women in The Gambia who upholds female circumcision as a religious expression and a cultural right. In the next few weeks we will finalize and submit a detailed position paper with important references to legal, medical, social, anthropological, human right and sex/gender studies.

This press release summarizes our position paper and highlights some key reasons we strongly urge the National Assembly to pass the Women's Amendment Bill 2003.” the release urged. 

The release added that, female and male circumcision are complementary and interdependent cultural practices that predate Islam. 

“The majority of ethnic groups in The Gambia practice both male and female circumcision as part of gender inclusive initiation that confer and affirm the right of marriage between a husband and wife in accordance with ancestral tradition or customary law.

For most Gambian women, female circumcision is experienced as a beautifying procedure that enhances women’s sexual pleasure and orgasm. 

Female circumcision is also affirmed as an aesthetic practice in the Hadiths as well as by the increasing popularity and normalization of female genital cosmetic surgeries, such as labiaplasty, clitoroplasty and hoodectomy in western countries and around the world.

For most Gambian women, female circumcision also enhances hygiene and eliminates transmission of the cancer causing HPV virus as well the accumulation of smegma and bacteria that can cause phimosis or painful fusions of clitoral foreskin.” the release said.

According to the female advocacy group, the promulgation of FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) propaganda by activists via WHO, various UN agencies and mainstream global media, added that there is no scientific or medical evidence, which demonstrates that uncircumcised women living under the same environment and facing the same constraints or obstacles to adequate health care as circumcised women. 

The release added: “Aside from female circumcision’s religious, cultural, gender, aesthetic, sexual and health benefits, the practice is protected under the Constitution of The Gambia by specific provisions that guarantee gender equality, right to religion and right to culture.

For example, the 1997 Gambian Constitution upholds:• Sharia and Customary Law (both of which permit or require gender inclusive circumcision) - see Chapter II, 3(e)(f) and Chapter IV ,25(c)• Gender Equality (women have the right to full equality with men )- see Opening Statement and specifically, Chapter IV,17,2 and Chapter IV, 28,1-2 • Culture and Tradition (specifically, the right to “enjoy, practice, profess, maintain and promote any culture, language or tradition…”) - see Chapter IV,32

• Protection from all forms of discrimination - see Chapter IV,33 Other Constitutional provisions include National Integration and Unity as well as Political, Economic, Social and Cultural objectives, which have important implications for the rights of Gambian women with respect to religious expression, upholding culture and tradition, and protection from discrimination”.