End FGM EU's Secretariat saw many changes lately. 

In September, we were happy to welcome our new Policy and Advocacy Coordinator, Xheni Dani to the team (read her bio). Xheni leads the policy and advocacy efforts of the Network.

Then these past months, we also said goodbye to three of our amazing colleagues, Marc Montany Daufi, in October and Fabienne Ducaud and Elena Achótegui Sebastián in December.

We wish them all the best and we thank them for their amazing work and what they have brought to End FGM EU while they were with us.

Our 2021 Annual Campaign #EndFGM4All has come to an end! In the last year, we learned about intersectionality and different forms of discrimination together. We shared with you infographics, videos, and information to learn more about Female Genital Mutilation and its links to other forms of oppression. We are so proud of the conversations we created, and of the knowledge we made available for everyone. The Campaign is over but we commit to keep learning and doing better to include everyone in our work.

On 1^st of October, we hosted an instalive in which Alya (End FGM EU Youth Ambassador) and Dena Igusti (queer FGM Survivor from New York) have a talk on Sex education and FGM. The replay of this enlightening conversation is available on our Instagram page. 

For the 25th of November, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we launched a video to show how FGM is Violence Against Women. The video is available with French and English captions!

For the 16 Days of Activism we shared the Community Voices Project. The project showcases the work done by eight activists and members of community-centred organisations based in Europe to influence policy and legislation, shift attitudes and break stigmas.

On September 25th, our Youth Ambassador Alya Harding and Coordinator of Programmes Isma Benboulerbah joined IPPF and YSAFE to provide a training on “how to keep yourself safe as an online educator/activist”. They discussed online trolling, cyberbullying and cyber-harassment as well as ways to protect yourself when talking about sensitive topics and to dealing with online opposition. 

 Throughout September and October, we have been working on the TuWezeshe Akina Dada- Leadership & Fellowship Programme 2021. The Fellows received their training and were guided in developing their very own Social Action Research, which involved desk review and conducting interviews with FGM affected communities residing in each Fellow’s country.

On the 11th of October, the Chain for Change campaign was officially launched! Two videos, one on Early and Forced Marriage and one on FGM, were shared by all partners on the occasion of the International Day of the Girl.

In addition, on the 11th and 12th of October, the third Consortium meeting of the two-year EU project CHAIN took place. The meeting sadly had to take place online considering the current pandemic situation. Nevertheless, the meeting had fruitful discussions. The partners shared their positive experiences and feedback from the project activities with the community trainers. 

The Kick-off Meetings with the End FGM EU’s Ambassadors and Youth Ambassadors took place respectively on the 27th and 28th of November in Brussels. We welcomed the new Ambassadors, provided an opportunity for them to get to know each other, share their experiences as an anti-FGM activists and to familiarise themselves with the Network’s story and objectives.

On November 19th, End FGM EU organised its online Knowledge Sharing Event. The aim of the event was to create a space for Members, Ambassadors and the Secretariat to share their skills, showcase their work and learn from one another through self-organised sessions and training  presentations by external experts.

On 27 November, in Brussels, we organised the meeting “Where do we stand with Reconstructive Surgery after FGM in Europe?”, a gathering of doctors (plastic surgeons and gynaecologists) who perform reconstructive surgery in Europe (BE, IT, FR, CH, DE, FI, IS, SE, NL, UK). The meeting was intended to foster further engagement with health professionals and experts, in order to create the basis for Common Standards of Care for FGM Survivors with a survivor-centred, multidisciplinary and holistic approach. 

Our Communications Officer, Myriam Mhamedi, delivered a workshop at the European Commission's Task Force on Equality Annual Event

on "Equality mainstreaming: practical tools to get everyone on board."

For the 2021 edition of EWAG, the Coalition (of which End FGM EU is part) organised a series of events bringing decision-makers and young people together to share their views and debate the way forward. We also launched the EUGirlsWeek twitter account! 

As a part of the process to create the FGM & Racism position paper, coming out in 2022, End FGM EU hosted a focus group to gather information and knowledge about the topic and to initiate a process of reflection and dialogue internally. The discussion focused on how to address racism both when advocating against the practice and when preventing and responding to it. 

Back in May, End FGM EU launched our interactive map on FGM in Europe! This interactive map includes all the information we have gathered on laws, policies, services and data collection on FGM in the 14 European countries (now 15) where End FGM EU has members.

Our Good Practice Poster showcases 10 promising examples that different countries in Europe have introduced to advance the movement to stop FGM across the continent. 

The poster is now available in English and in French!

As part of the Mind the Gap project, with the Consortium and Network’s members AIDOS, APF and MdM, we produced and launched a brochure to help educators tackle gender stereotypes in education titled “Mind the Gap- a guide to build a gender-inclusive educational environment”.

On 2 December 2021, AIDOS, GAMS and End FGM EU launched the report “Gender Transformative Approaches to Ending Female Genital Mutilation”, the result of this year’s International Stakeholders Dialogue (ISD).

The report and its main findings were presented during a Webinar, moderated by Dominique Uwase Alonga, which saw the participation of more than 80 stakeholders.

Over the past years, the focus of the EU and national governments on efforts to end FGM has been mostly on the prevention and prosecution of FGM. Support services and care for girls and women who are living with the consequences of the practice often does not get the attention it deserves. In our new infographic, we present the 7 points we advocate for on support services for Survivors of FGM.

One of the main actions of Diotima Centre is supporting refugee GBV Survivors residing in the urban site of Athens, Thessaloniki, Lesvos and Samos, by a team of specialised professionals (social workers, psychologists, translators/cultural intermediators, lawyers). 

MIGS presented a storybook and video produced within the framework of the Project “Mothers and Daughters Narratives on Sexuality and Relationships” funded by the Anna Lindh Foundation and co-funded by the European Union (2020-2021). 

Together with Wassu Gambia Kafo, the Wassu Foundation is launching a crowdfunding campaign to end FGM in The Gambia. 

On the 27th of November, APF hosted a training of Intercultural Mediators in Health with 5 women from FGM-affected communities with the objective of connecting families affected by the practice with health professionals. 

LESSAN started nationwide training in communities and with key professionals on how to use the letter of protection

The Letter of protection against Female Genital Mutilation/Circumcision (FGM/C) is a milestone in the effort to end FGM/C. 

Starting from December 2020 and going through 2021, the Concerted Strategies for Fighting FGM and GAMS Belgium have been hosting several online workshops for professionals in contact with families affected by FGM in Belgium. 

AIDOS Italy has been busy this last quarter! They co-hosted the International Stakeholder Dialogue (with us and Gams BE) and co-produced the report on Gender Transformative Approaches to Ending Female Genital Mutilation. They also launched the Mind the Gap Brochure!

One year in the CHAIN project is now successfully behind us! Since September 2020, the project partners TERRE DES FEMMES (main coordination), ActionAid Italy, Equipop, Save A Girl, Save A Generation and the End FGM European Network have been working within the framework of the EU co-founded CHAIN project.

This year Pharos organized a series of webinars on female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). In each webinar, they highlighted a different theme in collaboration with national experts.

Our co-President Hayat Traspas was invited to My Voice Podcast to talk about FGM, illiteracy and poverty. The podcast features FGM Survivors to share their stories and talk about mental health, GBV and gender equality.