Gambian police have charged three women in connection with the death of a one-month-old girl following female genital mutilation (FGM), in a case that has triggered nationwide outrage.
The charges were brought under the Women’s (Amendment) Act, 2015, which criminalises FGM in the country.
One of the accused faces life imprisonment and has been remanded in custody, while the other two were charged as accomplices and released on bail.
Despite a decade-old ban, FGM remains widespread in The Gambia, with the incident reigniting calls for stronger enforcement of the law.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) described the case as a wake-up call, stressing that the practice is a criminal offence, a human rights violation, and in some cases, fatal.
The renewed attention comes after lawmakers last year rejected a bill that would have made The Gambia the first country to reverse its national ban on the practice.
