Two women have been arrested in Gambia over the death of a one-month-old baby girl who was subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM), the BBC reported.
Police said the infant was taken to a hospital in the capital, Banjul, after developing severe bleeding, but was pronounced dead on arrival. An autopsy is being conducted to determine the cause of death, but BBC reports that many have linked it to FGM, a practice outlawed in the West African nation since 2015.
“Culture is no excuse, tradition is no shield, this is violence, pure and simple,” a non-governmental organisation, Women In Leadership and Liberation (WILL), said in a statement. The organisation’s founder, Fatou Baldeh, told the BBC that more babies were undergoing the procedure as parents believed they healed faster and, because of the law, it was easier to disguise when performed at a young age.
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MP Abdoulie Ceesay, who represents the Kombo North District where the incident occurred, said: “The loss of this innocent child must not be forgotten. Let it mark a turning point and a moment for our nation to renew its unwavering commitment to protecting every child’s right to life, safety, and dignity.”
What is FGM?
FGM includes procedures that involve altering or injuring the female genitalia for non-medical or cultural reasons, and is recognised internationally as a violation of human rights and the health of girls and women.
WHO classifies four types of FGM-
- Type 1 (partial or total removal of the clitoral glans)
- Type 2 (partial or total removal of the external and visible parts of the clitoris and the inner folds of the vulva)
- Type 3 (infibulation, or narrowing of the vaginal opening through the creation of a covering seal)
- Type 4 (pricking, piercing, incising, scraping and cauterising the genital area).
Gambia is among 10 countries with the highest rates of FGM, with 73 per cent of women and girls aged 15 to 49 having undergone the procedure, many before the age of six, according to the BBC. Under Gambian law, those found guilty of performing FGM face fines and prison terms of up to three years, or life sentences if a girl dies as a result.
