 When it was introduced in March, the bill was approved by a majority of MPs, raising the prospect of The Gambia becoming the first country to overturn a ban on the practice. The 2015 ban introduced fines and jail terms of up to three years for perpetrators and life sentences if a girl died as a result. FGM is banned in more than 70 countries globally, but continues to be practiced particularly in Muslim-majority countries such as The Gambia.