Dear Friends,

First of all, please allow me to introduce myself: I am Anna Widegren, the new Director of the End FGM European Network, having just joined the team a few weeks ago.
I am very happy to become a part of the amazing team of End FGM EU and I feel honoured and grateful to the Board for having entrusted me with the role of Director.
It is incredible to think that we’re already half-way through 2020, and what a strange year it has been so far! With COVID-19 we have all had to face unpredictable challenges, and have had to constantly adapt. In the short time that I have been here, I have seen that the Network, its Members and partners have all still managed to carry out amazing projects and make inspiring actions despite these challenges. This just proves how resilient and resourceful we can be, and how strong we are when we support each other. Now more than ever we have seen how important ensuring everyone’s well-being is and what can be achieved when we work together.
In this newsletter we showcase some of the amazing things that have been going on these last months, and we have been working hard!
Lastly, I wish you all a good summer break, and hope that you can all rest, recuperate and re-energise!

Warm wishes,
Anna

During the past months, many things changed! Two of our Team Members left the Network for new professional endeavours and, a few weeks ago, we have welcomed a new Director and a new Communications Officer: Anna Widegren and Myriam Mhamedi!

Our team has been working hard in June and we started spreading the word on Gender ABC! Isma Benboulerbah, Gender ABC’s Project Coordinator, had meetings with key actors of the European Parliament to promote the Project and talk about it to a broader audience. 

In the last few months, the Ambassadors took part in many events and did amazing things! Let’s see what they have been up to… 

The Youth Ambassadors of the End FGM European Network created their very own YouTube Series about Female Genital Mutilation on our channel. And they launched it in May!

They realised it is hard to reach out to the younger generations: there is still a huge taboo surrounding FGM and they want to connect with other young people to share their ideas and knowledge on women’s health issues.
The Series will accompany us through the Summer and until the beginning of October, with one video every two weeks.

As most NGOs, during the lockdown AIDOS has been busy rethinking and reshaping projects and activities, but also benefitting from and creating opportunities to learn and share knowledge.

Due to COVID-19, APF had to adapt its intervention strategies and find new ways to operate. The team organised many interesting event and is launching the Portuguese version of the Youth Engagement Manifesto.

On the 19th of May, GAMS Belgium organised a Webinar called "Féminisme et antiracisme : perspectives pour la lutte contre les MGF en Belgique" (Feminism & Anti-Racism: perspectives to fight against FGM in Belgium).

The Women-Safe Institute comes out of the confining period particularly active: in past months, they have had to handle more demands from survivors and cases of violence against children.

During the past months, Orchid Project continued to work on the #DontCutHerShort campaign and co-hosted the Webinar "Our Issue Too, Voices from Asia", on FGM prevalence across the Asia region.

In 2019, Pharos presented the findings of a new study on the prevalence and risk of FGM in the Netherlands and, in April 2020, an article on the subject was published in PLOS ONE.

On the 5th of May, Chiara Cosentino, End FGM EU's Head of Policy and Advocacy, represented the Network at the FGM Donor Working Group Webinar on responding to the impact of COVID-19 on the elimination of Female Genital Mutilation.

On the 16th of June, we organised a Webinar to discuss with experts on FGM whether the FGM Protection Orders might be effective in other jurisdictions, particularly across the EU.

In May, we published the Youth Engagement Manifesto, produced in cooperation with the Network’s Youth Engagement Working Group, the Youth Ambassadors and Integrate UK. Inside, you will find the main challenges to ensure effective youth engagement, our recommendations and the 5 Principles for Effective and Meaningful Engagement of Youth.

During the past months, End FGM EU has conducted an internal survey amongst its Members and Ambassadors around their work in Europe and beyond, including the impact of COVID-19 on women and girls affected by FGM, as well as the impact on organisations working on FGM.

In May 2020, End FGM EU, jointly with the members of the Global Platform for Action to End FGM/C, submitted to the UN Secretary General, a progress report on the practice. Covering all regions of the globe, the report shares information on: laws and policy; prevention strategies; multi-sectoral services, programmes and responses; data and research; community perspectives; and FGM/C during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this period of anti-racist protests to demand justice for countless Black people and People of Colour who have died at the hands of the police, End FGM EU said loud and clear that we stand against all forms of discrimination and racism. We also expressed our solidarity to one of our greatest allies in the European Parliament, MEP Herzberger-Fofana, who was subjected to police violence in Brussels on June 16.

A few days ago, Sudan ratified a new law banning FGM. Anyone performing it will now be facing prison!
Back in May, Chiara Cosentino, our Head of Policy and Advocacy, did an interview about the Sudanese law for i24News along with other experts.

Last week, together with IPPF EN, we wrote letters to Member States and Members of the European Parliament to overturn the European Commission's decision of reducing by 20% the funding for gender equality and combating gender-based violence. We want the European Commission to ensure the money is going where its political priorities are. On July 8, we participated to a Twitter storm with other NGOs to make our voices heard. 

UNFPA published the State of World Population 2020: "Against My Will - Defying the practices that harm women and girls and undermine equality". 

Every day, hundreds of thousands of girls are subjected to practices that harm them physically and psychologically, with the full knowledge and consent of their families, friends and communities. 

Three harmful practices are Female Genital Mutilation, child marriage and son preference.