Attempt to overturn the Gambia’s ban on FGM heard by supreme court

Case brought by Muslim leaders and MP follows failed 2024 bid and seen as part of global anti-women’s rights backlash

A group of religious leaders and an MP in the Gambia have launched efforts to overturn a ban on female genital mutilation at the country’s supreme court.

The court case, due to resume this month, comes after two babies bled to death after undergoing FGM in the Gambia last year. Almameh Gibba, an MP and one of the plaintiffs, tabled a bill to decriminalise FGM that was rejected by the country’s parliament in 2024.