KERR SERING
Gambia, West Africa
nyangsannehinstitute.com
Office +1 (220) 201-3283 1 (220) 379-7437

Mod K. Ceesay
Chief of Staff
Office of The President
State House
Banjul
The Gambia.

29 April 2024

Dear Mr Ceesay,
This Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) petition is for onward transmission to the Head of State, His
Excellency President Adama Barrow.
On behalf of the Nyang-Sanneh Institute, we, the undersigned, are writing to the President of the
Republic of the Gambia through you, to express our deep concerns about the bill tabled before the
Gambia’s National Assembly to reverse the 2015 landmark law banning FGM, as we believe that
repealing the ban on FGM would be detrimental to the rights of women and girls in the country.
As concerned Gambians, we feel that it is our collective responsibility to write this petition to urge the
President and his government to act urgently and address this issue, after the National Assembly
advanced the bill on 18 March 2024, seeking to repeal the law criminalizing all acts of FGM in the
country. We, the undersigned, believe that the President’s support will be crucial in ensuring that the ban
on FGM is maintained. We, therefore, ask that President Barrow considers our request and takes
immediate action to ensure that the proposed legislation to decriminalize FGM is defeated or rejected in
the National Assembly.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,
Professor Abdoulaye Saine
Executive Director
Nyang-Sanneh Institute


FGM Petition
We, the undersigned, believe that safeguarding the rights and protecting the health and safety of women
and girls is one of the most important functions of government.
We therefore support maintaining the Women’s Act of December 28, 2015, which makes provisions for
banning Female Genital Mutilation.
We believe that repealing or amending such an Act will be a bad decision by the National Assembly, that
will reverse the many years of social progress Gambian women and girls have enjoyed since the passing
of the Act.


We believe that the religious arguments being made for repealing the Act are not supported by sound
references to the Bible or the Quran or in sound Hadith. The respected late Grand Mufti of Al Azhar
University (the highest seat of Islamic learning), Mohamed Sayed Tantawi, argued against FGM; so did a
recent Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa, and that it has no sound basis in the Quran and the Sunnah/Hadith. Both
the Bible and Quran prescribe circumcision only for men but not for women. For those who make
references to a weak Hadith, we argue that none of the Prophet Mohammad’s wives nor his daughters
practiced FGM. If Muslim women are to look for an example consistent with their faith, then those are
the best examples. We should also note that Islam operated in a pagan milieu and so archaic practices in
those early days, such as FGM/C, had to be gradually abolished.


Therefore, recognizing that FGM:
has no sound basis in the teachings of the major faiths existing in The Gambia;
that it is harmful to women’s health and safety; (The practice has no health benefits for girls and women
and causes severe bleeding and problems during urination, and later cysts, infections, as well as
complications in childbirth and increased risk of newborn deaths. Also, the long-term consequences of
FGM/C are the formation of abscesses and genital ulcers, chronic reproductive tract infections, chronic
back, and pelvic pain, and urinary tract infections).
FGM/C/ is, overall, an archaic social practice;
we, the undersigned, petition our people’s representatives, the National Assembly, and President Barrow,
to exercise one of their most sacred duties with responsibility and care to ensure that the FGM/C ban is
maintained.


Signed:
Professor Abdoulaye Saine
Nyang-Sanneh Institute
3
List of Petition endorsers

  1. Professor Abdoulaye Saine
  2. Dr. Baba Galleh Jallow
  3. Dr. Ebrima Ceesay
  4. Dr. Tijan M. Sallah
  5. Dr. Bakary J. Sonko
  6. Professor Rudolph Sock
  7. Mr. Alieu Demba
  8. Mr. Cherno Jallow
  9. Dr. Lawalley Cole
  10. Mr. Madi Jobarteh
  11. Professor James N’Dow
  12. Mr. Omar Drammeh
  13. Mr. Matarr Baldeh
  14. Professor Peter Michael Karibe Mendy
  15. Mr. Salieu Taal
  16. Professor Karim Sagnia
  17. Ms. Isatou Ndow
  18. Professor Amina Sillah
    20 Dr Baboucarr S. Sarr
  19. Mr. Amadou Jallow
  20. Mr. Jeggan Grey Johnson
  21. Mr. Hamad Sallah
  22. Professor Mbemba Jabbi
  23. Ms. Soffie Ceesay
  24. Dr. Hassan Njai.
  25. Ms. Kura K.S. Njai
  26. Dr. Malanding Jaiteh
  27. Dr. Assan Jallow
  28. Professor Michael Banutu-Gomez
  29. Mr. Ebrima Chongan
  30. Mr. Sainey Faye
  31. Professor Assan Jaye
  32. Mr. Sering Omar Lowe
  33. Mr. Baaba Maxtarr Sillah
  34. Mr Amat Sallah
  35. Hon. Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang
  36. Professor Momodou Sallah
  37. Dr Mariama Jaiteh
  38. Ms. Fatou Jagne-Senghore
  39. Dr. Mat Lowe
  40. Mr. Cherno M. Njie
  41. Mr Momodou Buharry Gassama
  42. Dr Satang Nabaneh
    4
  43. Ms. Jabou Joh
  44. Mr. Famara Sawaneh
  45. Mr. Omar O. Jobe
  46. Mr Kebba Jatta
  47. Ms. Ndey Jobarteh
  48. Ms. Fatou Baldeh MBE
  49. Ms. Nenneh Bojang
  50. Ms. Maria Saine
  51. Mr Demba Baldeh
  52. Mr Alpha Robinson
  53. Dr Alhagi Marong
  54. Mr. Tumbul Trawally
  55. Ms. Isatu M. Bokum
  56. Professor Bala S.K. Saho
  57. Hon. Dr Isatou Touray
  58. Ms. Aisha Dabo
  59. Dr Karamo Sonko
  60. Ms Jaha Dukureh
  61. Mr. Alieu Saine
  62. Mr Omar Sowe
  63. Ms. Haddija Jawara
  64. Ms. Adelaide Sosseh
  65. Mr. Abdou Wally
    Mbye
  66. Mr Amadou Gaye
  67. Ms. Cecilia Baldeh
  68. Hon. Demba A. Jawo
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