On Wednesday 24 April, MEPs discussed a proposal to repeal the law banning female genital mutilation in the Gambia. A text that would constitute both a violation of human rights and a step backwards in the international fight against sexist and sexual violence.
Michael Gahler (EPP, German) opened the debate by sharing his outrage at this potential step backwards, and called on the European Union to put considerable pressure on the Gambian government to prevent the repeal.
For his part, Hannes Heide (S&D, Austrian) stressed that FGM is “a serious violation of human rights and discrimination against girls and women, not justified by any religion or culture”.
He pointed out that, according to UNICEF, 76% of Gambian women aged between 15 and 49 are victims of genital mutilation, and that the 2015 law adopted in Gambia was a global step forward for women’s rights, going on to warn of the dangers of its possible repeal.
Svenja Hahn (Renew Europe, German) spoke of the tragic consequences of FGM on women’s health and the need to uphold the law. Otherwise, it would be “the first time that this protection of women’s rights has been reversed”, she insisted.
Finally, Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana (Greens/EFA, German) linked the issue to international standards, pointing out that repealing the law would contradict several international conventions on the rights of women and children. “We must listen to women’s cries from the heart” she pleaded, calling for a global and coordinated response to counter the Gambian proposal. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)