Joint Statement on the Tragic Death of a One-Month-Old from FGM/C in The Gambia

The Global Platform for Action to End FGM/C is shocked, angered, and heartbroken by the tragic preventable death of a one-month-old baby girl on August 10, 2025, in Wellingara, The Gambia, as a result of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). We extend our deepest condolences to the grieving family and community members impacted by this tragic loss, while unequivocally condemning this cruel and irreversible act of violence.
This tragedy serves as an urgent reminder that the law banning FGM/C must be upheld and enforced effectively to prevent further harm and loss of life among girls, especially in light of recent attempts to overturn the law. The loss of this innocent life is not only a profound tragedy for the girl’s family and community but also a grave violation of her fundamental human rights.

“Before I speak, I must warn you, these words may be triggering. They speak of violence and death. But to honour this baby, I cannot stay silent.
A child has been murdered. Not lost, not passed away, but murdered, by the hands of adults who should have been her protectors. A baby girl, only one month old, her tiny body mutilated under the guise of tradition.
As a survivor of Female Genital Mutilation, I know the pain she never had the chance to name. I know the betrayal of having those you trust most become the source of your deepest wounds. Her death just reminds me that what I endured should have killed me. My survival is not just mine; I am here for you to witness it, so you understand the violence that was done to me and to her.
Her voice was stolen before it could form words. Her life was ended before it could truly begin. And still, the world watches. Still, too many stay silent. Silence is not neutral.
Silence is the permission that allows this violence to go on. We cannot keep watching as girls are mutilated and murdered, pretending it is someone else’s tragedy.
This is not culture. This is not religion. This is the killing of children. And the world’s quiet tolerance is as dangerous as the hands that held that baby down.
To every survivor who is reading this and feels triggered, unseen, or unheard, I see you, I love you, and I honour your strength. If you are feeling hopeless, angry, or full of rage right now, know this: it is okay not to be okay. Your feelings are valid. You are not alone in them.
Her death is a wound in every survivor’s heart. For me, it is also a reminder that my survival carries a responsibility, to break the silence, to bear witness, and to honour every girl who didn’t get the chance.”

Dr. Leyla Hussein, FGM Survivor, Psychotherapist, Global Advocacy Director, The Girl Generation

FGM/C is a direct violation of the rights to life, health, dignity, and bodily integrity. Despite FGM/C being prohibited under Gambian law and condemned under multiple international human rights treaties to which The Gambia is a signatory, 72.6% of women and girls have been subjected to FGM/C, placing the country among those with the highest prevalence. University-linked obstetric data from Gambian health facilities highlights that FGM significantly increases the risk of postpartum haemorrhage, perineal tears, neonatal resuscitation, perinatal death, and stillbirth, especially with the most severe forms.
This incident underscores FGM/C as a silent epidemic that claims the life of one girl every 12 minutes in high-prevalence countries in Africa, where it is also ranked as the 4th leading cause of death amongst girls, according to research from The University of Birmingham. An estimated 44,320 lives are lost each year as a result of FGM/C just within the 15 countries studied.

The death of this one-month-old child is not only a tragedy—it is an indictment of global complacency. This was not an unforeseeable event; it was the inevitable consequence of decades of performative outrage, underfunded interventions, and legal frameworks that exist in name only. The death of this child is not a cultural aberration—it is a systemic failure.
Three people have been arrested following this tragic event. Female genital mutilation must be confronted and punished. However, it is deeply troubling that this patriarchal practice, carried out by women against a baby girl, is resulting in women alone bearing the burden of accountability.

As such, we call on the Government of The Gambia to:
- Ensure a full, transparent, and urgent investigation into this case, holding all perpetrators accountable under the law.
- Enforce the 2015 FGM ban without exception and close loopholes that allow offenders to act with impunity.
- Protect infants and young girls who are increasingly targeted to evade detection.
- Direct resources toward anti-FGM/C advocacy, survivor-led initiatives, and community education programs that address the severe health risks and human rights violations associated with FGM/C.
- Uphold accountability measures for those who continue to perpetuate FGM/C, including those who perform it, and family members who facilitate it.

We call on the international community to:
- Collectively commit to ending FGM/C and its harmful consequences by publicly condemning this killing and reaffirming that FGM/C is a grave violation of global human rights treaties.
- Strengthen enforcement of existing conventions, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and hold states accountable for non-compliance.
- Partner with the government of The Gambia and relevant stakeholders, including grassroots activists, to strengthen enforcement of the existing FGM/C ban and increase investment in community dialogue, survivor-led advocacy, and comprehensive education and awareness programs that highlight the severe health risks and human rights abuses associated with FGM/C.
- Demand for increased accountability for those who continue to allow for girls to be harmed by FGM/C, including those who perform this act of violence, community leaders who support the continuation of FGM/C, and governments who fail to protect their women and girls through inaction.
- Provide urgent resources, diplomatic pressure, and protection for survivors and frontline movements working on the ground, dedicating their lives to addressing FGM/C in The Gambia and other higher-prevalence countries globally.
- Dramatically increase funding and resources for both prevention and services for survivors of FGM/C to close the severe funding gap that exists for FGM/C globally.
- To closely monitor developments and provide support to strengthen the enforcement of the FGM/C ban in The Gambia.

As the European Network to End FGM, we call for:
- The EU Ambassador to The Gambia, Ms Imma Roca i Cortés, to express public condemnation of the tragic and preventable death.
- The EU to use its leverage as a key partner of The Gambia to ensure accountability and prevention.
- The European Commission to support and work closely with Gambian anti-FGM civil society actors and authorities for the collective, community-led creation and implementation of extensive prevention, education, protection and support measures.
- The European Parliament to adopt an urgent resolution following up to the resolution 2024/2699 (RSP) adopted on the 24th of April 2024, calling for immediate intervention to ensure accountability and protect children at risk of undergoing genital mutilation.

We must work together with determination and concerted action to make sure that no one else ever suffers this violence.

The Global Platform for Action to End FGM/C stands in solidarity with the local Gambian activists as they continue to advocate for an end to this act of violence against girls. While this case has received media attention, many do not. We are committed to working side-by-side to raise awareness about FGM/C globally, advocate for holistic and comprehensive policy change, and hold those in power accountable. We can not afford to lose another life to FGM/C – we must end the violence against women and girls now.