Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they and other Commonwealth governments are making to the government of The Gambia about female genital mutilations, in particular regarding the desirability of eliminating the practice.

Our Embassy in Banjul has been working closely with non-governmental organisations to change local attitudes towards the practice. The Department for International Development is also funding a joint UN Population Fund (UNFPA)/United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) programme in The Gambia to raise public awareness. Progress is being made, but there is still a long way to go.

We welcome statements by the Gambian government against Female Genital Mutilation, including by the Vice President and the Minister of Health and Social Welfare but it has yet to legislate against the practice.