SheTale Media Network

            PC: AI Generated “They told me it was the mark of a woman; I decided it was the scar of a secret I refused to carry.” When Mrs. Nyaranding Cham was asked to inherit the title of “Ngansingbaa”—the community’s traditional cutter—after her mother’s passing, she made a decision that would quietly transform her village: she refused. It was a hot afternoon in March 2026. As the sun softened and a cool breeze drifted through Kolior in Kiang, Lower River Region, families prepared to break their fast. In a quiet compound just off the Trans-Gambia Highway, Nyaranding, believed to be in her late 70s or early 80s, sat on a cement platform at the centre of her home. Around her, younger women moved between the kitchen and courtyard, preparing the evening meal. Her voice was low, strained, and unsteady, but her message was firm. “We are the custodians of the knife in Kolior,” she said. “My grandmother was a cutter. When she passed, my mother inherited it. And when my mother died, the vill...

PC: AI Generated In the bustling village of Kaiaf in The Gambia’s Lower River Region, a senior religious leader finds himself caught between deeply held beliefs and the realities of the law. Musa Babanding Kassama, representing the imam of Kaiaf, maintains that female genital mutilation (FGM) is rooted in religious and cultural tradition. Yet, in a striking contradiction, he has chosen not to subject his grandchildren to the practice—citing legal consequences rather than a change in personal conviction. Speaking to this medium in March 2026, he said, “I am above seventy, and I will not want to be jailed because of FGM." His decision reflects a growing tension in Kiang district, where FGM remains widely practised despite being outlawed under the Women’s (Amendment) Act of 2015. The law criminalises the practice, imposing penalties of up to three years imprisonment, or life imprisonment if death occurs. A community divided Kiang has become a focal point in the national debate over F...

               PC: AI Generated A resident of Bundung has called on Gambians—particularly young people—to respect the country’s ban on female genital mutilation (FGM), urging communities to abandon a practice he says continues to put the health and rights of women and girls at risk. Modou Bah appealed during an interview in Bundung, Kanifing Municipality of the Gambia in March 2026, where he acknowledged the deep cultural roots of FGM but stressed that national laws introduced to protect women and girls must take precedence. “FGM is a deeply rooted cultural practice, but the government banned it because of the harm it causes,” Bah said. “As citizens, we must respect that decision.” FGM was outlawed in The Gambia in 2015 as part of efforts to safeguard women and girls from serious health complications and human rights abuses. Medical experts and advocates warn that the practice can lead to severe pain, infections, complications during childbirth, and long-term physical and psychological...

PC: AI Generated A troubling shift in the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) in The Gambia is raising alarm among child protection advocates, who warn that the procedure is increasingly being carried out in secrecy on infant girls, making it harder to detect and prevent. Sheikh Manneh, a community advocate working on protection and gender inclusion programs with the Gambia Red Cross Society, says the evolving nature of the practice poses new challenges to efforts to eliminate it. Speaking in an interview at his office in Jambur in March 2026, Manneh said his understanding of FGM deepened after undergoing specialised training and engaging with women who have experienced its long-term consequences. “After being trained and listening to survivors share their experiences, I realised that the practice does more harm than good,” he said. FGM, which involves the partial or total removal of female genitalia for non-medical reasons, has been practised for generations in parts of The Ga...

PC: Binta Gibba, Chairperson KEYCDA   On a quiet Sunny afternoon in Kuloro, Kombo East, West Coast Region of the Gambia, Binta Gibba reflects on a childhood memory that continues to shape her life. What began as a seemingly innocent outing with other girls ended in an experience that would follow her into adulthood, her marriage, and eventually her activism. Like many girls in communities where Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is practised, Gibba was taken for the procedure at a very young age—too young to understand what was happening or why. Speaking during an interview on March 8th 2026, she recalls, “We were taken to a bushy area and given fruits and sweets”. “At first, we thought it was just a gathering. But then the older women started calling the girls one after the other and taking them into the bush.” From where they sat waiting, the children could hear others crying. Fear spread quickly among them. When her turn came, Gibba was taken into the bush and circumcised. The experien...

PC: Getty Image In the rural community of Kibbir Wolof, a mother faced a difficult decision between adhering to tradition and protecting her daughter's safety. Ultimately, she chose to prioritise her child's well-being, even if it meant keeping her away from the family village for several years. For generations, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) has been regarded in some communities as a cultural requirement that marks the transition from girlhood to womanhood. However, an increasing number of mothers and survivors are challenging this tradition, often distancing themselves and their children from relatives and community pressures to avoid the practice. In areas where FGM continues, it is frequently linked with social acceptance, marriageability, and notions of purity. Families who refuse to participate in the practice may face stigma, harassment, or exclusion from social and religious events. For some elders, abandoning this ritual is perceived as a rejection of ancestral custom...