The European Parliament adopted by 612 votes to
7, with 32 abstentions, a resolution on an EU strategy to put an
end to female genital mutilation around the world.
The resolution was tabled by the EPP, S&D,
Renew, Greens/EFA, ECR and GUE/NGL groups.
Members recalled that female genital mutilation
- internationally considered a gross and systematic violation of
fundamental human rights, a form of violence against women and
girls and an embodiment of inequality between men and women - is
now recognised as a global problem affecting at least 200 million
women and girls in 30 countries, according to statistical reports
published by Unicef, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and
the WHO.
According to 2018 UNFPA data, if current
population trends continue, 68 million girls worldwide will be at
risk of undergoing female genital mutilation by 2030.
Ending female genital
mutilation/cutting
Parliament reaffirmed its determination to end
female genital mutilation worldwide, a practice that is a form of
gender-based violence and leaves very long-term physical and
psychological scars on women and girls, in some cases even
resulting in death.
Members stressed that the main objective should
be the prevention of this practice, through a sustainable
transformation of society and education and information campaigns
creating the conditions for the economic empowerment of women and
girls. The protection and aftercare of survivors of FGM must be a
priority.
The resolution stressed the importance
of:
- involving men and boys actors in the process of
reshaping gender relations, changing their own behaviour and
supporting the empowerment of women and girls;
- convincing community leaders to participate in the
eradication of female genital mutilation, since the practice is
transmitted through tradition and culture;
- adopting an intersectional and holistic approach that
addresses the root causes of gender inequalities that underlie all
forms of gender-based violence against all women and
girls;
- explicitly outlawing the medicalisation of
female genital mutilation, a phenomenon that is increasingly
widespread in some countries - including where the practice is
illegal.
EU Strategic
Framework
The Commission and the Member States were
invited to:
- ensure that the future EU budget takes account of the
need for greater flexibility between the internal and external
action funding programmes, in order to promote budgets that can
cope with the complexity of the problem and cross-border
interventions to eradicate female genital mutilation throughout the
world;
- ensure that all Member States implement the Victims'
Rights Directive to ensure that survivors of mutilation have access
to specialised and confidential support services, including
post-traumatic support and counselling, as well as shelters, in
emergency situations in the EU;
- ensure that, in the context of the reform of the
Common European Asylum System (CEAS), the highest standards of
international protection are applied consistently across the EU in
terms of eligibility, reception conditions and procedural rights,
in order to facilitate enhanced cooperation between Member States,
in particular with regard to vulnerable female asylum seekers who
have undergone female genital mutilation;
- launch a review of the 2013 communication entitled
Towards the elimination of female genital mutilation in
order to ensure the scaling up of actions against the practice
worldwide, and that work is done to tackle the disparities in laws,
policies and service provision between the Member States, so that
women and girls affected or at risk of FGM can access equal
standards of treatment throughout the EU;
- ensure that the next European Strategy for Gender
Equality includes measures to eradicate female genital mutilation
and to provide care for survivors and that it contains strong
commitments and clear indicators in all areas of EU
competence;
- ensure that the next EU Action Plan on Gender Equality
always includes the eradication of female genital mutilation and
the provision of care for survivors among its priority
actions;
- mainstreaming the prevention of female genital
mutilation in all areas, in particular in health, including sexual
and reproductive health and rights, social protection, asylum,
education, employment, law enforcement, justice, child protection,
media, technology and communication;
- create platforms bringing together a variety of
stakeholders to better coordinate cooperation and ensure that
structured mechanisms are in place to involve representatives of
communities affected by female genital mutilation and local women's
organisations;
- ensure that the negotiation and review of EU trade and
cooperation agreements with third countries take into account
respect for international human rights standards, including the
eradication of female genital mutilation as a systematic violation
of fundamental rights.
Parliament reiterated its call on the Council
to urgently finalise the ratification of the Council of Europe
Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and
Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention) and to encourage its
ratification by all Member States.