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More than 20 African countries have banned female genital mutilation, which involves cutting female genitalia to remove the labia and clitoris of girls. The practice often leads to lifelong health complications. The latest ban in The Gambia – where three out of four girls have been cut – has seen slower progress than was hoped. But as Irene Caselli discovered that attitudes are changing. She spoke to Aja Babung Sidibeh – an elder who stopped cutting when she realised it had serious health consequences – and to 25 year old FGM survivor Aji Isatou Saho, who works for Think Young Women, an NGO that organises workshops about FGM.

(Image: Aja Babung Sidibeh, Credit: Irene Caselli.)