Gambia
Committee on Traditional Practices affecting the health of women and girls
(GAMCOTRAP), last Friday concluded a two-day refresher sensitisation for
ex-circumcisers in Upper and Central River Regions.
The
sensitisations target women and community leaders, community based
facilitators, religious scholars and circumcisers. It was funded by UNFPA to
accelerate the abandonment of Female Genital Mutilation in The Gambia.
Fatou
Bojang, GAMCOTRAP’s field coordinator said it was important to refresh the
minds of both new and ex-circumcisers on the dangers of FGM because everyone
have the right to access to information on the dangers and laws in place
banning FGM practice in The Gambia.
She
said ex-circumcisers knew that the ban on FGM still stands but some new ones
thought ex-president Yahya Jammeh went to exile with the law, saying people
need to understand the difference between a president, the Constitution and
other laws in the country.
She
called on those who have started the practice to do away with it as it is
harmful to women and children.
“Stop
violating children and women’s rights,” she told new circumcisers, and urged
them to protect and respect children and women’s rights.
Mama
Ceesay, an ex-circumciser from Janjanbureh thanked GAMCOTRAP for sensitising
and convincing them to abandon the practice, saying since they abandoned it,
their bodies and minds have been at peace knowing that they will never hurt
anyone again.
She
recalled that during their active period of the cultural practice, they will be
having sleepless nights, knowing that someone might die or sustain serious
injuries during the practice.
Mrs
Ceesay said cutting peoples’ body parts
is a bad practice, urging new circumcisers to abandon the practice, now a-days
there are lots of diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure among other
diseases.
She
expressed ex-circumcisers’ readiness to form an association to sensitise new
circumcisers and those who intend to take up the practice to abandon it to
ensure a safe community for women and children.
The
ex-circumcisers also appealed for assistance from UNFPA to establish businesses
for them since they have abandoned the practice which was their source of
earning.
