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‘The Tradition Ends with Me’: Gambian Mother Vows to Protect Her Daughters from FGM

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PC: Getty Image A mother and survivor of female genital mutilation (FGM) in central Gambia has vowed that her daughters will never undergo the practice, saying she wants to end a cycle of harm passed down through generations. Fatoumatta Sillah, a native of Kibbir Wolof in the Central River Region, spoke during an interview conducted in February 2026 during a visit to her home village. “The scar from cutting me isn’t from an accident,” she said. “It is a legacy — a physical reminder of a tradition that demanded obedience over wellbeing and pain over peace. When I watch my own child sleep, I make a silent vow: this is where the cycle breaks.”  Sillah said female genital mutilation was deeply embedded in family and community traditions when she was growing up. “As a girl in the village, I saw many girls being cut,” she said.  “FGM is part of family and traditional history, and that is why it is difficult to stop.” Now a mother of four, she said becoming a parent changed her perspective an...
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‘Enough is enough’: Kibbir Fula Youth Leader Calls for end to FGM

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PC: Cherno Boye A youth leader in central Gambia has called for an end to female genital mutilation (FGM), describing the practice as harmful and urging greater community awareness to protect girls from being cut. Cherno Boye, district youth chairperson for Sami district in the Central River Region, made the call during an interview conducted in February 2026 in his home village of Kibbir Fula, saying “enough is enough”. Boye said his position against FGM was shaped by his participation in awareness programs organised by civil society organisations and community groups. “I have attended many sensitisation programs organised by different institutions, and I am aware of the lasting health problems that come after FGM,” he said. “That is why I advocate for an end to this harmful violation of girls’ rights.” FGM remains a deeply rooted practice in some rural communities in The Gambia, where it is often associated with tradition and religious beliefs. Boye said these perceptions continue...
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Father Divorces Wife Over Daughters’ FGM Refusal

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PC: Getty Image  A mother’s decision to protect her daughters from female genital mutilation (FGM) led to the breakdown of her marriage in Wellingara Ba, a rural community in Jarra East, Bureng Ward in The Gambia’s Lower River Region. The woman, whose name is being withheld for safety reasons, refused to allow her two daughters to undergo cutting, saying she did not want them to endure the pain and health risks associated with the practice. Her decision ultimately cost her marriage. The events occurred approximately five years ago, when the couple’s daughters were four and two years old. The case illustrates the intense social and family pressure faced by parents who choose to abandon a practice that remains deeply rooted in many Gambian communities. To understand what happened, this reporter on February 16th 2026, travelled about 170 kilometres from Banjul along the South Bank Road to Wellingara Ba, where the former husband, Lamin Jallow, agreed to speak openly about why he divorced h...
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“I Suffered During Childbirth” – Wellingara Ba Mother Speaks Out Against FGM

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PC: Getty Image The afternoon sun fell gently across the sandy compound as Juma Conteh sat on a wooden chair outside her home in Wellingara Ba, a quiet village in Jarra East, Bureng Ward in The Gambia’s Lower River Region. Chickens scratched the ground nearby while children’s voices drifted in the distance — ordinary village sounds that contrasted with the painful memories she was about to share. On February 16, 2026, in this village located about 170 kilometres from Banjul via the Trans-Gambia route, the mother of three spoke softly but firmly about an experience that has shaped her life and changed the way she sees a long-standing tradition. “I suffered a lot during childbirth,” she said. “The nurses told me the pain I went through was because of Female Genital Mutilation.” Conteh, now in her early thirties, was mutilated as a small child. She was too young to understand what was happening, and like many girls in her community, the decision was made for her in the name of tradition. ...
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A Call for Justice and Reparations: NGO Forum Highlights Ongoing Human Rights Violations Against Africans and People of African Descent

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Group Photos of Participants  Human rights defenders, experts, leaders, and advocates are calling for justice and reparations for Africans and people of African descent while highlighting ongoing human rights violations across the continent. This was discussed during the NGO Forum held before the 85th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights in Banjul. The Forum on the Participation of NGOs took place from October 17 to 19, 2025, under the theme “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations.” It brought together civil society organisations (CSOs), NGOs, state parties, commissioners, and individual human rights defenders to address pressing human rights issues affecting the continent, make recommendations, and adopt resolutions to be presented to the African Commission during its session. At the Forum, Commissioner Remy Ngoy Lumbu called for the inclusion of individual participants in future editions to ensure that those most ...
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Rape of Boys: An Emerging Pattern of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Gambia

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Fallu Sowe: National Coordinator NGBV Fallu Sowe, the National Coordinator of the Network Against Gender-Based Violence (NGBV), has raised significant concerns about a troubling new trend in The Gambia: the rape of boys. This form of violence, which was once considered rare, is increasingly being reported to the Network, revealing a disturbing dimension of sexual violence in the country. According to Sowe, this shift emphasises the urgent need to recognise that boys can also be victims of sexual violence and must be protected with the same urgency and care afforded to girls. Sowe spoke with us in an exclusive interview on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, at the Network’s office in Brusubi Phase 2, West Coast Region of The Gambia. “One of the emerging forms of violence we are witnessing is the increase in sexual violence against young boys. This is concerning because this type of abuse is rare and traditionally not known among our people in The Gambia. While sexual abuse of girls and women h...
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Silent Pleasures: Breaking Gambia’s Bedroom Taboo

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PC: Google Sigh, damned patriarchy. I can accept all these patriarchal biases, but why should my pleasure be silent? I am tired, I feel suffocated, and I feel like I am about to explode. Ladies, what should I do about all these desires in my body?  A chilly silence fell over us. We exchanged glances and then looked at Binzy, who was cupping her chin with those lifeless eyes that used to sparkle with joy whenever we came together as friends. Binet Bah, affectionately known as Binzy, has always been the life of the party. She’s our organiser and is usually in charge of coordinating our all-girls outings. Today, however, that party animal didn’t only leave the preparations to us; she had been quiet since we arrived at Lemon Creek. We were all walking on eggshells around her until she finally decided to break the silence. “Binzy, are you okay? Is everything alright at home?” Fancy asked hesitantly. After a few minutes of excruciating silence, our friend of more than a decade finally spoke....
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