Gambian Members of Parliament have upheld a ban on skin bleaching in the country after a controversial debate on whether the act should be criminalized or not.
Skin bleaching which could lead to kidney problems and other chronic diseases if sustained over a considerable period of time has become cancer in many African societies.
The WHO released a report in 2019 that an estimated 40% of African women bleach their skin. That figure rises to a wholesome 77% in Nigeria alone.
The business in Africa in a multi-million dollar one as well as it is the 4th most sought after African household item. Gambia is not the only country to ban bleaching as South Sudan also prohibits the act.
Some women have reportedly gone as far as bleaching their babies skin to make them look caucasian. Gambia first banned skin bleaching in 1996 during Yahya Jammeh‘s tenure.