‘Enough is enough’: Kibbir Fula Youth Leader Calls for end to FGM
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 to sustain the practice but argued that increased education could lead to change.
“Many people believe FGM is a religious and traditional obligation,” he said. “If they are properly sensitised, they will come to understand its impact and eventually abandon it.”
Kibbir Fula, a small rural settlement in Sami district about 200–250km from Banjul, depends largely on rain-fed agriculture and livestock keeping. The village faces challenges, including a limited water supply and restricted access to health facilities and schools across the river in Jangjangbureh.
Boye said girls in his community are often subjected to FGM at a very young age. “In our village, I have seen young girls being circumcised,” he said. “Sometimes girls above 12 years are cut, but most of the time it happens at a very tender age.”
Although he said he is not directly affected as a man, Boye said growing up among circumcised girls influenced his decision to speak out.
“All I can do is join the advocates in speaking against the practice,” he said. “It may not end as soon as we want, but with time and more sensitisation, I believe it can be abolished.”
He said his advocacy efforts focus mainly on the health risks associated with FGM rather than religious or cultural arguments.
“The problem with FGM is that it is practised on children who are too young to understand what is happening to their bodies,” he said.
“Sensitisation should be directed at married couples. If parents agree that their daughters will not be circumcised, then those girls will be safe.”
Boye said youth advocates often encounter resistance from older generations who strongly defend the practice as part of their cultural heritage.
“When we talk to elders, some of them tell us they saw and knew the world before us,” he said. “That makes it difficult to convince them.”
He also expressed personal opposition to FGM, saying he would prefer not to marry a woman who has undergone the procedure. He said his views were influenced by accounts from women who described painful childbirth experiences and from men who spoke about difficulties in marriage.
Despite his opposition, Boye said he believes education and dialogue are more effective than punishment in ending the practice.
“FGM is harmful, but it is a long-time traditional practice,” he said. “Convincing people to stop within a short period will be difficult. There should be more sensitisation programs to help people understand its impact rather than forcing them to stop.”
He called on organisations and institutions working to end FGM to strengthen awareness programs in rural communities and to expand outreach efforts, including house-to-house campaigns.
This article is part of the Breaking the Silence: Voices of FGM Survivors Project, supported by the Foundation for Women’s Health Research and Development (FORWARD UK).
Author: Nelson Manneh
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