Gambian lawmakers have upheld a 2015 ban on female genital mutilation, despite pressure from religious traditionalists in the West African country.

Lawmakers rejected a controversial bill, introduced earlier in 2024, that sought to enshrine "female circumcision" as a religious and cultural practice.

Following months of heated debate, legislators ended the bill's chances by rejecting all its clauses and blocking any further vote.

Female genital mutilation is banned in more than 70 countries globally.

According to the United Nations, more than 230 million girls and women around the world have had female genital mutilation.