Gambia rejects bill that would legalize female genital mutilation

On Monday, Gambian lawmakers rejected a bill that would have allowed for female genital mutilation. This vote marks a victory for women’s rights activists and comes after mothers of intense debate about whether to reverse a 2015 ban on the practice.

While the practice will remain illegal, it is still very prevalent in the country with almost 75% of women aged 19 to 49 identifying as a survivor of FGM.

NPR’s Gabrielle Emanuel reports.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.