By Omar Sabally
The Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Girls (GAMCOTRAP) had recently concluded a two-day refresher sensitisation for ex-circumcisers in the Upper and Central River Regions, respectively.
The sensitisation, which targeted women and community leaders, community based facilitators, religious scholars, circumcisers and their assistants, was funded by UNFPA to accelerate the abandonment of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in The Gambia.
Madam Fatou Bojang, GAMCOTRAP’s Field Coordinator said it was important to refresh the minds of ex-circumcisers on the dangers of FGM as well as new circumcisers, because everyone has the right to access to information on the dangers and laws in place banning FGM practice in The Gambia.
While noting that ex-circumcisers know that the ban on FGM still stands, Bojang argued that some new circumcisers think ex-president Yahya A.J.J Jammeh has gone into exile with the anti-FGM law.
She wants people to understand the difference between a president and the Constitution, and other laws in the country. She advised those who have started the practice to do away with it, reasoning that FGM is harmful to women and children.
“Stop violating children and women’s rights”, the field Coordinator admonished the new women circumcisers, as she further urged them to protect and respect children and women’s rights. Madm Bojang thanked their URR and CRR Coordinators for ensuring the sensitisation is a success, and also saluted the ex-circumcisers and UNFPA for funding the activities.
An ex-circumciser in Janjanbureh, Ms. Mama Ceesay, commended GAMCOTRAP for making them abandoned the practice. Since they abandoned the practice, Ceesay intimated, their bodies and minds had been at peace knowing they would never hurt anyone else again. She recalled that during their practice days when it’s few days before they carry out the practice, they wouldn’t sleep knowing someone might die or sustain serious injuries during the practice.
The erstwhile female circumciser now frowned upon the practice, saying,”Surviving on cutting people’s body parts is a bad practice.” She adjured the new circumcisers to abandon the practice, pointing out that nowadays, there are a lot of diseases like diabetes, high-blood pressure among other diseases, and “you can circumcise someone and she develops health complications which might land the circumciser in trouble”.
Madam Ceesay reassured the gathering of ex-circumcisers’ readiness to form an association to sensitise each other, new circumcisers and those who intend to take up the practice to abandon it, in order to ensure a safe community for women and children. She, however, appealed for support to ensure that they are able to carry out their plans.
Meanwhile, the ex-circumcisers has appealed for assistance from UNFPA to enable them establish businesses since they have abandoned the practice-which was their source of earning a living.
