By: The Fatu Network Editorial
Gambian women’s rights activist Jaha Dukureh continues to advocate for gender equality and the eradication of female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage. Following her recent speech at the United Nations on International Women’s Day, Dukureh appeared on NBC News to discuss the challenges faced by millions of girls worldwide.
During the interview, she highlighted troubling statistics, including the United Nations’ estimate that 12 million girls are married off before turning 18 each year, and that more than 230 million women and girls have undergone FGM. Both practices, she explained, contribute to significant physical and psychological harm.
Dukureh, who is also the author of I Will Scream to the World: My Story, My Fight, My Hope, shared her personal experience with child marriage and FGM. She recounted how her marriage was arranged at a young age, and after losing her mother at 14, she was sent to the United States to marry a man she had been betrothed to since the age of seven or eight. She also mentioned that all of her sisters were married before they turned 15, highlighting the prevalence of these practices in her community.
Regarding FGM, Dukureh explained that she only fully understood the extent of the procedure on her wedding night, when she realized that her ability to consummate the marriage was affected by the procedure. This realization, along with the birth of her daughter Khadija, motivated her to advocate against these practices. “My message was about dignity. My message was about uplifting women out of poverty as a means to end violence against women and girls, because money is power,” Dukureh said during her interview.
As the founder of Safe Hands for Girls, Dukureh played a key role in the successful effort to ban FGM in The Gambia in 2015. However, she noted that there have been attempts by some conservative religious leaders to reverse the law, citing cultural and religious objections. “Last year in The Gambia, they tried to reverse the law against FGM. This was by conservative religious leaders claiming that a law against FGM is against their cultural and religious rights. We fought back, we won, but there’s a lot of pushback around the world on women’s rights,” she explained.
Despite these challenges, Dukureh emphasized the importance of continuing the fight for women’s rights. “It’s important that we continue to demand justice for women and that we continue speaking truth to power,” she added.
Dukureh also discussed the personal risks associated with her activism, noting that threats against her life and her family have led to her children studying in a foreign country for their safety. She spoke about the challenges of facing opposition from religious extremists who view her work as a threat to their beliefs. “There’s videos on TikTok with my name and my face, even on YouTube, and sometimes my family is targeted to the point where my children go to school in a foreign country for their own security,” Dukureh said.
When asked what people can do to support the fight against FGM and child marriage, Dukureh encouraged viewers to support grassroots organizations and to educate themselves about these issues. “They can support grassroots organizations that are doing this work. They can educate themselves as well,” she said.
Jaha Dukureh’s efforts continue to bring attention to the issues of child marriage and FGM, highlighting the need for continued activism and support to address these harmful practices.
