The Gambians are using the correct approach to discourage female genital mutilation. Very often we cannot explain why we observe certain cultural traits. Therefore, the people need to be sensitised about the harmful effects of FGM. Once they have the facts about it, they will realise that it serves no useful purpose, other than cause unnecessary sufffering. Here, in Uganda, the nation's parliament is about to enact a law making FGM unlawful. Some people feel that this is not the way to go , fearing that it might generate resistance among the ethnic groups that practise it. There were already signs that sensitisation and education were changing the minds of the people and an increasing number of eligible girls were abandoning circumcision. However, the activists, who are mainly professional women, are impatient at the pace and would like to see it eradicated immmediately. It is my feeling that the Gambian approach is the right one because making laws against cultural matters is a recipe for resistance and social instability.

This culture is long overdue to stop. Its a practice that the well educated in the society need to address at all times. This is a tradition which is sometimes asumed that it is religious is just ignorancy. There are still some uneducated lunatic preachers who keep saying that FMG is a practice in Islam. What a disgraceful ignorancy! The trouth is that, FMG is a long traditional and people seem to associate it with religion but it has not found its way anywhere in either Islam nor Christianity. We need to stop this useless tradition that has no benifit other than harming the individual.