Gambia’s Supreme Court to Decide on FGM Ban

FGM violates the right of women and girls to the highest attainable standard of health, the right to physical integrity, and life. Credit: Shutterstock

By Juliana Nnoko
Jan 28 2026 (IPS)

Gambia’s Supreme Court is considering whether a law protecting women and girls from female genital mutilation (FGM) is constitutional. The practice, common in Gambia, often involves forcibly restraining girls while parts of their genitals are cut, sometimes with the wound sewn shut.

FGM constitutes torture and cruel...