| Amnesty International Ireland | ||
| rue de Trèves, 35 | Tel: +32 548 2774 | |
| Boîte 3 B-1040 Brussels | ||
To date, there is no data collection which would allow for comparison and a European wide vision of the exact extent of the practice of FGM in Europe or of the number of women and girls living in Europe at risk of FGM. However, in some EU countries like Belgium, Germany, France, and Italy, estimates of women living with FGM or girls at risk of FGM have been published; these are based on anecdotal evidence, are underestimated and meet several critical problems.
According to a resolution passed by the European Parliament in March 2009 on Combating FGM in the EU around 500,000 women and girls living in Europe have been subjected to female genital mutilation.
Determining the magnitude of the problem in the EU is needed to measure change in behaviour, to monitor any increase or decrease in the number of women with FGM and girls at risk and to underscore the claims for policies and resources.
WHAT CAN THE EU DO?
The END FGM-European Campaign urges the EU institutions (the Commission, the Council and the Parliament) in accordance with the 2009 European Parliament resolution on FGM, to request the following from European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights:
The campaign urges the EU institutions in accordance with the 2009 European Parliament resolution on FGM, to request the following from European Institute for Gender Equality:
The campaign urges the EU institutions to request the following from Eurostat:
To coordinate and support the development of national surveys to assess FGM prevalence in the EU. These surveys should be developed in close collaboration with all stakeholders to take into account the national context.
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