JINHA

NEWS CENTER - The State of Gambia has announced it will ban female genital mutilation (FGM) after the Guardian launched a global campaign to end the practice.
The president of Gambia Yahya Jammeh said the controversial surgical intervention would be outlawed. He said the ban would come into effect immediately. After the statement of Yahya, the government is expected to meet on this issue.

' I am really happy'

Jaha Dukureh, an anti-FGM activist whose campaign to end the practice in the country has been supported by the Guardian, said, " I am really happy."

'It was banned in Nigeria'

The Guardian launched a major campaign to end FGM around the world in 2014,

This year FGM was banned in Nigeria owing to Ban Act of Violence Against.

According to statistics in Somalia, which has the highest prevalence of female genital mutilation in the world, 98% of girls aged between four and 11 are subjected to female genital mutilation in Somalia.

Female genital mutilation is often applied to young girls,is cutting female genitalia to remove their labia and clitoris, which often leads to lifelong health complications, including bleeding, infections, vaginal pain and infertility. According to a report published by UNICEF in 2013, there are 20 millions women who were circumcised, are between 15 and 49 years old.

(mg/gd)