Gambian lawmakers voted to uphold a ban on skin-lightening products after a debate in parliament. Skin-lightening or bleaching agents, especially unauthorised ones, may cause multiple health risks such as scarring, blistering, nerve and bone damage. It is also controversial as many argue phenomenon is a toxic legacy of colonialism. Adama Barrow’s government sought to lift the skin-bleaching ban last year, arguing that it discriminated against women. Justice Minister Dawda Jallow also argued that criminalising people for using cosmetic products was an unfair punishment. But on Monday, several lawmakers argued in favour of maintaining the ban, citing health or religious reasons. The practice is widely used across Africa as well as South Asia and the Middle East.
SOURCE: AFRICA NEWS
More Stories
Can Africa’s Green Initiatives Mitigate Effects of Climate Change?
Damning Allegations Levelled against British American Tobacco South Africa
How Kenyan Airways Pivoted to Meet New Market Shift
Seven Africans Make Time Magazine’s List of the 100 Most Influential People in the World for 2021
Benin is the Fastest Place in the World to Start a Company
Tech SME Gains Business Success, Growth And Acquisition During The Pandemic
The Number of Children Working Across Mines in Africa is Rising
A Startup that Will Cut the Cost it Takes to Produce Palm Oil
Africa to Pull Out All the Stops at Dubai’s World Expo
Somalia is on the Cusp of Becoming the World’s First Cashless Society
A Mission to Rehabilitate Nigeria’s Waterways One Beach at a Time
Dumpster Diving on the Rise Among Ghanaian Kids