A group of women demonstrating the Female Genital Mutilation process. Image by UNAMID, via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Deed).
By Sydney Leigh Smith
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) remains a significant issue inThe Gambia, where, according toUNICEF, approximately 76 percent of women and girls aged 15–49 have undergone the practice. FGM refers to all procedures that involve the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.
It is internationally recognized as a violation of human rights and has no health benefits, often leading to severe physical and psychological consequences, including chronic pain, childbirth complications, and increased risks of neonatal mortality. TheWorld Health Organization (WHO) classifies FGM into four types, ranging from clitoridectomy and excision to infibulation and other harmful procedures such as pricking or incising.
In The Gambia, the practice was legally banned in 2015 under theWomen's (Amendment) Act, making it a criminal offense. However, recent legislative threats have put this progress at risk.
In early 2024, the Gambian National Assembly considered a bill to repeal the ban, which would have made The Gambia the first country to reverse such a prohibition. Theproposal sparked widespread international and local condemnation, which warned that repealing the law would be a severe setback in the fight against gender-based violence. Despite this challenge, in July 2024, the Gambian parliament ultimately rejected the repeal attempt, maintaining the ban.
Despite this, enforcement remains weak, withonly two prosecutions since the law was enacted and the first conviction occurring only in 2023. Activists stress that beyond legal measures, Gambian officials must address the deep-rooted cultural and societal norms that perpetuate FGM, focusing on community education and empowerment to end the practice sustainably.
Dr. Fatou Baldeh,MBE, is a leading advocate against female genital mutilation (FGM) and a powerful force in gender justice. Born in The Gambia, she was subjected to FGM at the age of eight, an experience that deeply influenced her life. Baldeh recalls the trauma vividly:
I was pinned down and I was cut. We were all kept in this house after the cutting, in a dark room for maybe about two weeks until we healed. Every morning they put warm water with salt and herbs in a pan, and you were forced to sit on it.
The memory of that painful ritual stayed with her, eventually inspiring her to transform personal pain into a mission to end the practice.
Baldeh’s journey toward activism was gradual. It wasn’t until her twenties, while studying in theUK, that she fully grasped the lasting impact of FGM on her physical and emotional well-being.
As I went on, I came to realize more and more that ending FGM also required ending all forms of injustice against women and girls, she explains.
She understood that efforts to combat FGM needed to address the broader landscape of gender-based violence and systemic injustices, which, like FGM, limit women’s opportunities and rights. As she notes:
You couldn’t end FGM if girls were subjected to early marriage. If girls continue to drop out of school because of rape, teenage pregnancies, or forced marriage.
Challenging norms through dialogue and understanding
In 2018, Baldeh foundedWomen in Liberation & Leadership (WILL) to combat FGM and other forms of gender-based violence using a community-centered approach. Rather than confronting people with judgments, WILL adopts a collaborative method, seeking to understand the reasons communities support FGM. Baldeh stresses that communities must not feel attacked, explaining:
We want to talk to you, we want to understand why you continue the practice, and why you support it.
WILL’s work targets all members of the community, especially men, recognizing that many Gambian households are patriarchal and men’s involvement is crucial to stopping FGM.
Baldeh’s approach has involved fostering open dialogues between generations and with religious leaders to address misconceptions linking FGM to cultural or religious obligations. She organizes intergenerational conversations to balance respect for culture with the need for change, saying:
I love being a Gambian, a Black Gambian woman who is proud of my culture. I’m just saying that the part of my culture that harms me and other girls, I am rejecting that.
WILL also collaborates with religious leaders to counter myths surrounding FGM and promote a message of positive, informed change within Gambian communities.
The critical role of men and youth in ending FGM
Baldeh places a strong emphasis on engaging men in her advocacy work, using “Ataya Chats” — traditional gatherings where men discuss community issues — to educate men about FGM’s damaging effects. She believes that male allies can shift family decisions in favor of women’s rights, explaining:
If a father steps up and says, ‘I do not want my daughter to be cut,’ there’s a high chance that that girl will not be cut.
She is also focused on educating young people, particularly girls, about their rights and the importance of consent, recognizing the lack of sex education in The Gambia.
Girls don’t have access to comprehensive sex education. They don’t understand their bodies. When you are abused or end up in a violent relationship. how do you really talk about what is happening to you when you don’t know if that is wrong or right?
Addressing systemic challenges
One of Baldeh’s biggest challenges is navigating entrenched patriarchal norms and gaining government support. She is vocal about the need for sustainable funding, emphasizing:
We need resources so that we can continue to deliver sustainable projects. We don’t like to go into a community for a one-off engagement and leave.
Baldeh believes that change is possible within a single generation if young people, both men and women, are educated about FGM’s impact.
If I don’t cut my girl, there is a 99 percent chance that her daughter will not be cut.
She calls for government accountability, criticizing the lack of enforcement of The Gambia’santi-FGM law of 2015.
The practice continues because we are not seeing the government come out publicly and address FGM. We are not seeing law enforcement. International partners need to put pressure on the government to make sure that this law is implemented.
Baldeh also advocates for training healthcare professionals to provide specialized care for survivors of FGM, stressing the importance of local capacity building to address ongoing health and emotional issues related to the practice.
International recognition and critique of external interventions
A photo of Fatou Baldeh, provided by Fatou Baldeh. Used with permission.
Baldeh’s work hasreceived international acclaim, and she was awarded an MBE in 2019 for her services to migrant women in Scotland and theInternational Woman of Courage Award in 2024. However, she remains critical of the “top-down” approach of many international organizations. She believes that sustainable change comes from within communities, where local leaders and groups hold the deepest understanding of cultural nuances.“You cannot have more experience than me in my own community, in my own culture, and my own people,” she insists, urging international groups to empower local, women-led organizations rather than overshadowing them.
Baldeh’s work celebrates the contributions of rural women, whom she calls “invisible giants,” for standing alongside younger generations in the fight against FGM.
Our mothers and our grandmothers came to join us to say that we are standing by our daughters. they may not be on the media speaking, but the reality is they made a change.
Her admiration for these women and her own relentless drive continues to fuel her mission to eradicate FGM and promote gender equality in The Gambia and beyond. Through WILL, Baldeh envisions a future where communities are empowered, knowledgeable, and committed to ending FGM and supporting all women’s rights, recognizing that, as she says, “All it takes to stop it is one generation.”