"On a rainy morning in early August, a newborn girl suffering severe vaginal wounds was rushed to Banjul's Bundung Maternal and Child Health Hospital. By the time she was attended to, the doctors could do nothing the baby had bled to death. The Gambian authorities have since confirmed that the one-month-old died from injuries linked to female genital mutilation (FGM), a banned practice in the small West African country."
"At least three women from the area were arrested over the death, including the person who cut the child, as well as the baby's mother. She is the unlucky one, a neighbour said, referring to the infant, her voice heavy with grief. She and the victim's mother belong to the same osusu, a traditional savings scheme, and the neighbour was present at the baby's naming ceremony, which traditionally takes place a week after birth."
A one-month-old girl in The Gambia died from severe vaginal wounds after undergoing female genital mutilation, with doctors reporting fatal blood loss. At least three women, including the cutter and the infant's mother, were arrested after the death in Wellingara, a community near Banjul. Community members describe secret early-age cuts performed during traditional ceremonies and express fear of speaking out, allowing the practice to continue despite criminalization. FGM involves fully or partially cutting the female labia and clitoris, and is linked to bleeding, infections, pain, infertility and post-traumatic stress disorder. More than 144 million women across Africa have experienced FGM, according to UNICEF.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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