Outrage in Gambia after a one -month -old baby who died

The death of a one -month -old girl who was the victim of a female genital mutilation (MGF) in Gambia aroused generalized indignation.

The baby was transported urgently to the capital of the capital, Banjul, after developing serious bleeding, but was declared dead on his arrival, police said.

Although an autopsy is still in progress to establish the cause of his death, many people have linked it to the MGF, or to female circumcision, a cultural practice prohibited in the western state.

“Culture is not an excuse, tradition is not a shield, it is violence, outright,” said a leading non -governmental organization, Women in Leadership and Liberation (Will), in a press release.

Two women were arrested for their presumed involvement in the death of the baby, police said.

The deputy for the Kombo North district where the incident occurred underlined the need to protect children from the harmful practices that steal their health, their dignity and their life.

“The loss of this innocent child should not be forgotten. That it marks a turning point and a moment for our nation to renew its unshakable commitment to protect the law of each child to life, security and dignity,” said Abdoulie Ceesay.

The MGF is the deliberate cut or elimination of the external genitals of a female.

The most frequently cited reasons to achieve it are social acceptance, religious beliefs, false ideas on hygiene, a way to preserve the virginity of a girl or a woman, making her “mariable” and improving male sexual pleasure.

The Gambia is one of the 10 countries with the highest MGF rates, 73% of women and girls aged 15 to 49 having undergone the procedure, many doing it before the age of six.

The founder of Will, Fatou Baldeh, told the BBC that there had been an increase in MGF procedures carried out on babies in Gambia.

“Parents believe that if they cut their daughters when they are babies, they heal faster, but also, because of the law, they believe that if they execute it at such a young age, it is much easier to disguise, so that people do not know,” she said.

The MGFs have been prohibited in Gambia since 2015, with fines and prison terms of up to three years for the authors, and perpetuity sentences if a girl dies accordingly.

However, there were only two prosecution and a conviction in 2023.

A solid lobby group emerged to demand the decriminalization of MGFs, but the legislation aimed at repealing the ban was elected to Parliament last year.

The MGF is prohibited in more than 70 countries in the world, but continues to be practiced in particular in the Muslim majority in Africa, such as Gambia.