On the eve of the International Day of Zero Tolerance of Female Genital Mutilation, the European Commission and EU High Representative Kaja Kallas reaffirmed, on Wednesday 5 February, the EU’s strong commitment to eradicating this harmful practice.
In a joint statement, they recalled that this mutilation - which is estimated to affect more than 200 million women worldwide, including at least 600,000 in Europe - was “a violation of human rights and a heinous form of violence against women and girls”.
“It is a means to assert domination and social control over women and girls. The practice has severe lifelong physical and psychological consequences. There is absolutely no medical or ethical justification for it and it has no place in any society”, warned the Commission and the High Representative.
The EU remains committed to working with governments, civil society and international organisations to ensure that the practice of female genital mutilation is universally condemned and eradicated. “The European Union will persist in collaborating with global partners to adopt a zero-tolerance stance”, they warned. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)