While Europe has made considerable progress in promoting gender equality and safeguarding women's rights, violence against women and domestic violence remains a pervasive issue, affecting 1 in 3 women in the EU. Despite efforts, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) remains a persistent concern, impacting around 600 000 women in Europe. The practice not only violates the fundamental rights of women but also leaves lasting physical and psychological consequences. Though often associated with regions outside Europe, FGM is not limited by geographical boundaries.
Efforts to combat FGM in Europe involve education, community engagement, and legislative measures. The Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme (CERV) supports key stakeholders such as the End FGM European Network (End FGM EU), comprising 39 organisations across 16 European countries to actively shapes legislation and monitor FGM-related (e.g. gender equality, health, asylum, protection of victims, etc).
End FGM EU drives impactful activities, including knowledge-sharing, data visualisation, education, and capacity-building in close collaboration with grassroot communities, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders.
Medicos del Mundo Spain hosted a knowledge-sharing event in Madrid, bringing together youth ambassadors, European stakeholders, and affected communities. Participants emphasised the importance of European unity in seeking and applying good practices.
Also, End FGM EU has created an online interactive map that provides comprehensive information on FGM laws, policies, data collection, and services such as holistic healthcare and surgery reconstruction. The map facilitates the visualisation of FGM prevalence, offering a comparative tool for policy makers, professionals and concerned population in developing targeted intervention strategies.
In May 2024, End FGM EU will launch an E-Campus to end FGM, empowering professional that encounter women at risks and survivors of FGM. This free online platform aims at creating a global community dedicated to ending the practice of FGM through multidisciplinary training.
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