Despite a 2015 ban, Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) remains practiced in The Gambia. A recent bill to repeal the ban now endangered legislative progress so many Gambian women have been holding onto as well as longstanding efforts of civil society organizations. On 15 July 2024, following extensive community engagement and advocacy, the bill was successfully rejected. In the face of a global backlash against sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), what can activists worldwide learn from this success? This blog features an interview with Fatou Baldeh, founder of Women in Liberation and Leadership (WILL) and a leading activist in maintaining the FGM/C ban.
Author: Fatou Baldeh
Fatou Baldeh is a women’s rights activist and founder of Women in Liberation and Leadership (WILL). She is also a PhD Candidate at the Canterbury Christ Church University and PhD Fellow at the Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Fatou holds an MSc in Sexual and Reproductive Health and a BSc in Health and Psychology from the UK. She has extensive experience in the area of Gender Justice and advocacy for the rights of women, girls and marginalised communities both in the UK and The Gambia. In recognition of her work with migrant communities and women who have experienced abuse in the UK, Her Majesty, the late Queen Elizabeth II, honoured Fatou with an Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for an outstanding service to migrant women in Scotland in 2020. In 2024, she received the award for International Woman of Courage (IWOC) from The US First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and Secretary of State Blinken in recognition of her dedication to women’s rights and the fight against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). She has also been awarded the 2024 Women’s Rights Award by The Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy.
