NHRC says girls in Gambia continue to face FGM despite ban

Banjul, Gambia (PANA) -  The National Human Rights Commission said here Monday many girls in Gambia continued to face Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and child marriage despite a law banning them.

 “In The Gambia, a focus on adolescent girls is not just timely but crucial. For instance, numerous rape cases, sexual abuse and other forms of gender-based violence have been reported over the course of 2020, the NHRC said in a report obtained by PANA here.

“Additionally, despite the legal prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and child marriage, many girls continue to face these and other forms of discrimination, violence and exploitation in their communities.

“The continuous rights violations, abuse, discrimination and violence faced by adolescent girls are consistent with the United Nations (UN) findings that, despite significant gains over the years, many of the commitments made to girls are left unfulfilled,” the commission said in a statement.

-0-    PANA    MSS/RA  12Oct2020