Gender 
Europe impotent in fighting female mutilation among African women

afrol News, 30 November - Yesterday's special European Parliament hearing on female genital mutilation among African immigrants gave no results. European Commissioner responsible for gender equality, Anna Diamantopoulou, admitted that little had been done and that combating FGM is "not within the competence of the EU".

African campaigners had gathered at the European Union headquarter in Brussels to find out how Europe and Africa can work together against female genital mutilation. Campaigners were urging the European Union to recognise that the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) is an abuse of fundamental human rights. In Europe, so far there has been little effort to curb the forbidden but widely spread, harmful practice. Yesterday's hearing brought little news.

Anna Diamantopoulou, the European Commissioner responsible for gender equality, spoke at the hearing, organised by Mrs. Emma Bonino, former European Commissioner in charge of humanitarian assistance. Mrs. Diamantopoulou said the meeting would make it possible to "develop for the first time a European strategic approach aimed at the elimination of the practice of female genital mutilation." 

A study carried in 1998 had shown that the number of migrants coming from "FGM risk countries" is the highest in Britain counting more than 300,000 individuals, France with almost 200,000 women immigrants from those countries, followed by Italy and Germany with 133,847 and 77,795 women immigrants respectively. Moreover, almost 50 per cent of health care providers have been confronted with FGM complications, and most of them - over 90 per cent - would never perform a FGM procedure. "Yet, the British Medical Association estimates the number in the UK to reach 3000 procedures every year," Mrs. Diamantopoulou informed. 

In light of these figures, Mrs. Diamantopoulou said it was "interesting to note that specific laws prohibiting all or some forms of the practice exist only in three European countries - Sweden, Norway and the United Kingdom." In the rest of the member states, there are only general laws prohibiting serious bodily injury without making specific reference to FGM. 

As to the countries with specific laws, Sweden introduced already in 1982 legislation by prohibiting health professionals from performing the operation. The United Kingdom outlawed the practice in 1985 by passing the Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act. Norway followed the example of these countries in 1998. 

As afrol.com reported yesterday, prosecution on suspicion of carrying out FGM so far only has taken place in France (25 cases) and Sweden (1 case). Most countries do not follow up their legislation or can not prosecute if FGM was carried out abroad (most parents carry out the "circumcision" when taking their child daughters on holiday to their native country). A case which recently got much publicity in Norway is currently investigated, but the possibility of an actual prosecution is low, as it is seen as "a difficult topic", as Norwegian police officer Mrs. Sæter told afrol.com yesterday.

Campaigners were putting their hopes in the European Parliament to reach some common regulations based on the Human Rights Charter, so as to get European countries involved in the fight against the practice. Mrs. Diamantopoulou's speech did however not bring much hope.

After assuring that that "the European Commission and the international community have recognised female genital mutilation as a profound violation of the human rights of women," she stated that "any legislative measures, however, to combat FGM are not within the competence of the EU, and neither are provisions for the deinfibulation to be performed under proper medical conditions."

Turning away from concrete legislative action in Europe, she sought to handle over the responsibility to African states and the European member states. Diamantopoulou called for specific legislation in the member states and supporting the fight against the practice via legislation and education in African countries.

- I would like to make one thing very clear," she said, however. "Europe is not in the business of preaching and imposing its culture on other countries and nations. However, Europe must be very clear in defending its values which are built around justice, equality of the sexes and human rights. Therefore, we cannot tolerate that within our borders, a cultural practice becomes an excuse for the violation of fundamental human rights. Irrational traditional practices do not have a place in modern societies, especially since they are aimed at continuing to subjugate women. The global community has clearly itself to human rights and this is reflected both in conventions and international agreements." 

Although Commissioner Diamantopoulou did not offer much more than encouraging words, concrete results have come out of the hearing. There was launched a network for the control of female genital mutilations among the many NGO's and institutions working against the practice all over Europe. The network will group all NGOs fighting for the rights of women in Europe.

Sources: afrol archives and European Union

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