NEW YORK—Don’t call Adama Lee Bah a victim. She is most definitely a survivor. Not only that, she is thriving.
At age 7, in her home country of The Gambia, Bah was subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM), a cultural practice that involves the mutilation or cutting of the female genitalia for nonmedical purposes. It is usually carried out with razors or knives in unsterilized conditions by women who have not been medically trained.
Bah, now 22, was tricked by an aunt, who was in cahoots with Bah’s mother. The aunt invited Bah to stay with her for a vacation, with the promise that she would later support Bah to attend school.
In the early morning after Bah arrived, her aunt took her on an outing “to meet lots of people,” Bah recollects.
