By Kemeseng Sanneh (Kexx)
Almameh Gibba, the National Assembly Member for Foni Kansala and seven (7) others have filed a case before the Supreme Court seeking to decriminalise the practice of female circumcision. The case was filed on the 30th July 2024. The practice was prohibited by law in 2015 following an amendment on the Women’s Act.
Almameh’s advocacy for the decriminalisation of the practice of female circumstance began in the National Assembly. He brought a private member’s bill to decriminalise the practice, but he failed after failing to get the needed threshold. He is now in the Supreme Court.
Almameh is joined by Yassin Fatty, Nano Jawla, Kadijatou Jallow, Concerned Citizens, Islamic Enlightenment Society, the Women’s Association for Solidarity and Gambian Women Are Free to Choose.
The lawsuit aims to remove the law prohibiting the practice of female circumcision from the Women’s Act. They want the Supreme Court to declare that the National Assembly acted in excess of their powers in passing the amendment of the Women’s Act in 2015. They are asking the court to declare it void and of no effect.
Foroyaa will bring a detailed report on the suit in our next edition.
