Women’s right to sexual and reproductive health information: The Gambia’s fix for female genital mutilation

This article argues that the African Union’s theme for 2024, ‘Educate an African fit for the 21st century’, provides an avenue to galvanise support for the protection of women’s right to sexual and reproductive health information (women’s right to SRHI) considering the power of knowledge and information to foster socio-cultural transformation and sustainable development. The right protects women’s sexuality, reproductive health and well-being and is a precondition for substantive equality between men and women. The provision of comprehensive information and education in schools and in public on women’s rights to sexual and reproductive autonomy can drive the transformation of harmful cultural practices and historical discriminations against African women in reproductive healthcare. In Africa, as elsewhere, despite legislation and policies against gender-based violence and discrimination, the prevalence of female genital mutilation (FGM) disempowers women from attaining their sexual and reproductive health. The rise in FGM during the COVID-19 pandemic and recent attempts to overturn its ban in The Gambia portray the danger of possible reversal of the previous gains of FGM ban. This article therefore makes the case for the express recognition of women’s right to SRHI. In doing this, it draws from empirical, legal and health literature and policy documents to re-conceptualise women’s right to SRHI based on substantive equality, and examines the merits of the Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol) and related instruments to safeguard women’s access to comprehensive information and education on sexual and reproductive health and rights. The article reveals gaps between policy and women’s lived experiences regarding access to SRHI and concludes by encouraging the African Union and development partners to support The Gambia and other African states to prioritise access to culturally sensitive sexuality information and education.