We celebrated the International Day of the Girl by co-organising the European Week of Action for Girls! Young activists from all around the world gathered in Brussels to speak out on what matters most for improving Girls' Rights according to them. They met with MEPs, EU decision-makers and other NGOs in various institutions including the European Parliament. 

The EU and its Member States are currently discussing the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027, meaning the overall EU Budget for the next 7 years. The next EU Summit will take place on 12-13 December. The result of this discussion will automatically influence the amounts of funding dedicated to gender equality. Click below to see how you can act!

Since the European elections of last May, the Secretariat has met with more than 18 MEPs who have signed our 7-point manifesto during the campaign.

This opportunity granted us the chance to hear about their priorities for the next 5 years, as well as provide us the chance to express our advocacy asks and highlight actions each specific MEP should carry out to support women's rights and ending FGM. 

Follow us on Twitter to catch up!

In over two decades, AkiDwA has gained recognition as a leading NGO for highlighting the issues faced by migrant women in Ireland.

AkiDwA has developed the capacity of hundreds of migrant women and  communities living in Ireland through their network, resource centre, outreach and training programmes.

The Network members come together to form working groups on specific topics or issues. These groups provide the space for members to connect, share their knowledge and collaborate on joint initiatives, on: 

• Asylum: writing a study compiling information on asylum policies at national level in European countries 
• Communication: publishing a two-pager on "How to Talk About FGM", targeting decision-makers and the media
• Youth engagement: creating a Youth Manifesto to work hand-in-hand with young people at all levels

The upcoming high-level events – the Nairobi Summit ICPD 25 and the UN CSW 64 / Beijing 25 – are a unique opportunity for us to examine the dimensions of FGM as they relate to achieving the SDGs by 2030. They can, after all, only be achieved if SDG 5 “Gender Equality” is focused upon and if men & boys - who are global decision-makers - are successfully involved in the de-facto implementation of human rights for women and girls in everyday life.

It is estimated that approximately 14,700 women and girls living in Switzerland have undergone or are at risk of FGM/C. In 2016, Caritas Switzerland, TERRE DES FEMMES Switzerland, the Swiss Centre of Expertise in Human Rights and Sexual Health Switzerland came together to form the Network against female genital cutting Switzerland to protect girls and women and to ensure medical care for those who have been subjected to FGM/C.

18 educational modules have been developed on gender-based violence topics and will soon be released, which constitute a unique tool for teachers and educators! The project was also presented during the COFACE meeting in October 2019 in Finland - “Shaping a healthy environment for children”. 

Follow the project on Instagram (@genderabc) and on Facebook (@GenderABC).

The NHS (National Health Service) of the United-Kingdom has announced the launch of clinics across England dedicated to specifically support, treat and help survivors of Female Genital Mutilation.

Ibrahim Bah, a Guinean activist fighting to eradicate Female Genital Mutilation, knows first-hand how important it is that men oppose this practice. Since he saw his sister die at age 14, he began to question this tradition that kills and causes serious physical and psychological damage to girls.

AIDOS – in cooperation with the news agency Dire - held a training session addressed to Italian journalists on how to report on gender-based violence, including FGM, using non-sexist and non-stigmatising language and providing survivors with the possibility to have their voices be heard.

The Finnish League for Human Rights got visitors from health sector professionals and a group of midwifes and nurses visited our office. They are doing very important volunteer work in Somali communities in Helsinki area by communicating about female genital mutilation and cutting. It was a great pleasure to meet them and discuss future co-operation!

GAMS Belgium has put in place a project called 'Concerted Strategies' fighting female genital mutilation as a collective process involving actors from various sectors affected by FGM: health-care professionals, politicians, target groups, organisations on the field. As part of the project, the team met with Pauline Ikongho, who is working as a nurse and as an "FGM adviser".

64.800 women living in Germany have undergone FGM and 15.500 girls are estimated to be at risk. Baden-Württemberg-based photographer Antje Pohsegger has now initiated a travelling exhibition in order to inform people about FGM/C. This exhibition is a cooperation between the photo studio Pohsegger, TERRE DES FEMMES and the Menstruation Health Hub in Berlin.