A one-month-old baby girl has died in The Gambia after undergoing Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), in a case that has shocked the nation and reignited public debate on the controversial practice.
The Gambia Police Force Public Relations office has confirmed the arrest of two individuals, both women, in connection with the incident.
FGM has been banned in The Gambia since 2015. The law stipulates a fine and a maximum prison term of three years for anyone found guilty of performing FGM, with the penalty escalating to life imprisonment if the victim dies as a result of the procedure.
According to sources, the infant was pronounced dead at the Bundung Maternal and Child Health Hospital after she was rushed there due to severe bleeding.
Despite the nationwide ban, activists say the practice continues underground, often carried out in secret by traditional practitioners.
Source: #DWAfrica #DWAfricaWomen