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Female Genital Mutilation in the European Union and Croatia Report MH-31-12-135-EN-C Female genital mutilation in the European Union and Croatia Report www.eige.europa.eu Foreword This report is based on the ‘Study to map the current situ- The work on this report was coordinated by Jurgita ation and trends of female genital mutilation in 27 EU Pečiūrienė; quality assurance was carried out by col- Member States and Croatia’. It was commissioned by the leagues at the European Institute for Gender Equal- European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) in 2012 and ity: Maria Schäfer, Barbara Limanowska, Santiago Morán was carried out by a consortium of researchers from the Medina, Priya Alvarez, Indrė Mackevičiūtė, Magali International Centre for Reproductive Health and the Yel- Gay-Berthomieu, Magdalena Gryszko and Monika low Window Management Consultants. The study was Bystrzycka. carried out by a core team: Els Leye (project leader, ICRH), Foreword Lut Mergaert (project leader, Yellow Window) and Catarina Neither the European Institute for Gender Equality nor any Arnaut, with the support from Jessika Deblonde, Anne- person acting on its behalf can be held responsible for the Female genital mutilation (FGM) is one of the most brutal hu- marie Middelburg, Siobán O’Brien Green, Anke Van Vossole use made of the information contained in this report. man rights violations of our times, deeply rooted in gender and 31 national researchers. The researchers were sup- inequalities, as well as deliberate physical and psychological ported by four advisors: Elise Johansen, Rianne Letschert, dominance over girls and women. This cruel form of gender- Christine Loudes and Naana Otoo-Oyortey. based violence cuts deeply at the heart of the European Un- ion’s values and fundamental rights; thus, the EU’s dedicated and tireless commitment towards putting an end to this phe- nomenon is of the utmost importance. Its commitment is af- firmed in the European Parliament’s resolutions, the Women’s Charter and the European Commission’s Strategy for Equality between Women and Men 2010−2015. The recently adopted Directive 2012/29/EU, which establishes the minimum stand- Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers to your ards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime, questions about the European Union. is an important instrument in support of women and girls who are victims of and at risk of FGM. EIGE’s research confirms Freephone number (*): that in the EU there is, unfortunately, a significant number of 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 women and girls who are in jeopardy of becoming victims of FGM and/or have been subjected to FGM. Significant gaps in needs a comprehensive strategy, based on a gender-sensitive (*) Certain mobile telephone operators do not allow access to 00 800 numbers the area of data collection and support services in the preven- and human rights-inclusive approach, which empowers girls or these calls may be billed. tion of and combating FGM point to the need for coherent and women to be in control of their lives and which also bal- and continuous measures. ances the state protective measures, prevention and prosecu- tion. Furthermore and equally important, attention is raised This report aims to support policy makers and all relevant toward the need to intensify efforts on behavioural change institutions by providing them with reliable and comparable among FGM-practising communities, decision-makers and data for evidence-based actions and policy improvement in stakeholders in those particular countries. the area of FGM. It also provides recommendations on how to protect girls, women and the European society from this On behalf of the European Institute for Gender Equality, destructive and devastating expression of power, and on how I express my sincere gratitude to those who contributed to give sufficient support to the girls and women who have in the compilation of this report, especially to the Euro- fallen victim to this crime. pean Commission Directorate-General for Justice and EIGE’s staff. More information on the European Union is available on the Internet (http://europa.eu). Despite a lack of prevalence data, EIGE’s research mapped the current scale of female genital mutilation in the 27 EU Member Today, it is still regrettably apparent that all of us need to unite Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication. States and Croatia, providing a thorough analysis of identified our efforts in ensuring that girl and women victims of FGM in data; monitoring initiatives; legislative and policy measures; the EU receive sufficient support in order to prevent any girl ISBN 978-92-9218-118-5 support services; coordination and inter-sectoral cooperation. or woman from having to face this traumatic, life-devastating doi:10.2839/23199 Our findings show that to effectively combat FGM, the EU expression of violence ever again. © European Union, 2013 Virginija Langbakk Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. Director European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) Printed in Germany Female genital mutilation in the European Union and Croatia 3 Acknowledgements Acknowledgements Acknowledgements The European Institute for Gender Equality would like to thank the following people for their involvement in the study. Authors and core research team Advisory Board National researchers (countries covered for the study are in parentheses) – Els Leye, project leader (International Centre for – Elise Johansen (WHO, Geneva) Desk study In-depth study Reproductive Health) – Elke Beneke (Austria) – Maria Adam Nyangasa (Germany) – Rianne Letschert – Els Leye and Anke Van Vossole (Belgium) – Alba Alonso Álvarez (Spain) – Lut Mergaert, project leader (INTERVICT, University of Tilburg, Netherlands) – Ralitsa Golemanova (Bulgaria) – Maxime Forest (France) (Yellow Window Management Consultants) – Maria Kyprianou (Cyprus) – Siobán O’Brien Green (Ireland) – Christine Loudes (END FGM European Campaign, – Maxime Forest – Annalisa Butticci (Italy) – Catarina Arnaut Ireland) (Czech Republic, France, Luxembourg) – Els Leye (Netherlands) (Yellow Window Management Consultants) – Feleknas Uca and Leylan Uca (Germany) – Catarina Arnaut (Portugal) – Naana Otoo-Oyortey (FORWARD, UK) – Lise Rolandsen Agustín (Denmark) – Jonna Arousell (Sweden) – Jessika Deblonde (International Centre for Repro- – Kadri Aavik (Estonia) – Eiman Hussein (United Kingdom) ductive Health) – Siobán O’Brien Green – Alba Alonso Álvarez (Spain) (independent research consultant) – Satu Lidman (Finland) – Anke Van Vossole (International Centre for Repro- – Maria Kyprianou (Greece) ductive Health) – Annemarie Middelburg (INTERVICT, University of – Maja Mamula (Croatia) Tilburg, Netherlands) – Monika Pacziga (Hungary) – Siobán O’Brien Green (Ireland) – Maria Sangiuliano (Italy) – Dovilė Rimkutė (Lithuania) – Marita Zitmane (Latvia) – Antoinette Camilleri Grima (Malta) – Els Leye (Netherlands) – Małgorzata Maria Miazek (Poland) – Yasmin Gonçalves (Portugal) – Monica Stroe (Romania) – Sara Johnsdotter (Sweden) – Katarina Župevc (Slovenia) – Zuzana Ocenasova (Slovakia) – Eiman Hussein and Josephine Hombarume (United Kingdom) 4 Female genital mutilation in the European Union and Croatia Female genital mutilation in the European Union and Croatia 5 Contents Contents Contents Abbreviations 8 5. Legislation at Member State level 42 5.1. General and specific criminal laws on FGM 43 Glossary 10 5.2. Child protection laws 46 5.3. International laws related to protection 46 Executive summary 12 5.4. Professional secrecy provisions 48 5.5. Concluding remarks 49 Introduction 18 6. Policy development, implementation and actors at Member State level 50 1. Facts on female genital mutilation 20 6.1. Overview of policies and policy makers 51 1.1. Definition and typology of FGM 21 6.1.1. National action plans on FGM 51 1.2. Consequences of FGM 22 6.1.2. Broader national strategies covering FGM 52 1.3. Context of the practice of FGM 23 6.1.3. The role of partnerships 52 6.1.4. Regional action plans 53 2. Measuring the extent of FGM in the EU-27 and Croatia 24 6.1.5. Other relevant policies 53 2.1. Prevalance estimates 25 6.1.6. Policy makers and catalysts 53 2.2. Administrative records 27 6.1.7. Challenges and trends in policy making 54 2.2.1. Hospital and medical records 27 6.2. Prevention of FGM 54 2.2.2. Child protection records 27 6.3. Protection against FGM 56 2.2.3. International protection records 28 6.3.1. Child protection 56 2.2.4. Police and criminal justice records 28 6.3.2. International protection 57 2.3. Challenges and trends in data collection on FGM 28 6.4. Prosecution 58 2.3.1. Prevalence estimates and data collection on girls at risk of FGM 28 6.5. Provision of services 60 2.3.2. Limitations of census data 29 6.6. Actors, methods and tools 61 2.3.3. Lack of comprehensive data collection and collation 29 6.6.1. Number and profile of actors 61 2.3.4. Insufficient funding and monitoring 30 6.6.2. Approach to the work on FGM 62 2.4. Concluding remarks 30 6.6.3. Methods and tools 63 6.6.4. Academic literature 65 3. International standards related to FGM 32 6.7. Concluding remarks 65 3.1. United Nations legal and policy framework 34 3.2. Council of Europe legal and policy framework 35 7. Conclusions and recommendations: a comprehensive approach to FGM in the EU 66 Annexes 72 4. European Union legal and policy framework 36 Annex I. Methodology of the study 73 4.1. Important European Union legislation and policies 37 Annex II. Tables for Chapter 2 77 4.2. European Parliament 38 Annex III. Table for Chapter 4 94 4.3. Council of
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