Alerted by the fact that the Gambia risks becoming the first country in the world to cancel legal protection against female genital mutilation (FGM), MEPs on Thursday 25 April urged the Gambian Parliament to reject the proposal to repeal FGM and to support its criminalisation of FGM (see EUROPE 13399/10).
In the joint resolution that they adopted (535 votes in favour, one against and one abstention), the MEPs also urged the Gambian government to redouble its efforts to prevent and eliminate female genital mutilation through “robust” enforcement measures, education and collaboration with international partners.
The European Parliament says it is ready to support the government and civil society organisations in mobilising the population in the fight against FGM. It also calls on the European Commission and the European External Action Service to urgently and systematically raise the issue of female genital mutilation with the Gambian authorities.
See the resolution: https://aeur.eu/f/bz9 (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)