Gambia's parliament on July 15 rejected a bill that would have ended a ban on female genital mutilation (FGM), after lawmakers voted down all the clauses in the proposed law.
"The ban on FGM is still firmly maintained in the Gambia," the Ministry of Information said in a statement after the vote. "Government stands firm in its resolve to eliminate this harmful practice."
The bill to overturn the ban sparked a public debate about female genital mutilation for the first time in the West African nation that divided villages, families, and parliament.
The lawmaker who took the proposal to parliament, Almaneh Gibba, said he was upholding cultural and religious prerogatives in the Muslim-majority country where FGM is widespread and deeply rooted. Many Islamic scholars dispute his arguments.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says FGM has no health benefits and can lead to excessive bleeding, shock, psychological problems, and even death.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus commended parliament's decision in a joint statement with high-level United Nations representatives.
"The fragility of progress to end FGM cannot be overstated. Assaults on women's and girls' rights in countries around the globe have meant that hard-won gains are in danger of being lost," the statement said.
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