16th July 2024
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Protect anti-FGM legislation:
The Gambia must safeguard the Women’s (Amendment) Act, 2015, which criminalises FGM, by preventing any repeal efforts and strengthening it to explicitly prohibit medicalised and cross-border FGM. -
Strengthen enforcement and accountability:
Improve implementation of anti-FGM and child marriage laws by increasing prosecutions, training justice sector officials, and holding violators accountable, including those who incite or fund FGM practices. -
Increase public awareness and community engagement:
Launch sustained public education campaigns and engage religious and traditional leaders to shift cultural norms and promote the abandonment of harmful practices like FGM and child marriage. -
Close legal and policy gaps:
Address enforcement weaknesses, expand data collection systems, and ensure robust marriage and birth registration, particularly in rural areas, to prevent underage and unregistered marriages.