More Women Circumcisers To Drop Knife

Dr Touray and Amie Bojang-Sissoho

GAMCOTRAP, the leading women's right NGO will celebrates the 4th dropping of the knife scheduled for the 13th April 2013 in the historic town of Wassu, in the Niani of the Central River Region, Gamcotrap said in a media dispatch.

　

Funded by UNFPA, 30 women Circumcisers from 27 Clusters and 336 Communities who have gained GAMCOTRAP's experience to protect girls from FGM has pledged to make a public declaration to stop FGM in their communities.

　

"The advocacy to bring about positive change in the lives of girls and women against the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) has impacted a greater level of awareness in the Gambia" the released stated.

  It added that GAMCOTRAP between 2010- 2012, has been able to directly reach more than two thousand women and men of different age groups and social status, including Chiefs, Alkalolu, Imams, women leaders, Circumcisers, and Community Based Facilitators, amongst others. "GAMCOTRAP’s three year intervention has resulted in awareness about the effects FGM has on women and girls, the rights of women and children, and the realization that culture is dynamic and changes overtime".


In 2011, 20 women circumcisers from 150 communities in Lower River Region publicly vowed to have abandoned Female Genital Mutilation at a ‘dropping the knife’ ceremony held at Soma
.

 Author: Binta A Bah