Welcoming Commissioner-Designate Reding’s commitment to ending FGM

Hearing of Viviane Reding, Luxembourg's Vice President designate of the EC in charge of Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship before the EP Committees. © European Union, 2010

END FGM European Campaign welcomes Commissioner-Designate Viviane Reding’s commitment towards the issue of female genital mutilation. At the hearing in front of European Parliament’s Committee for Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner-Designate for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship declared her commitment to taking "concrete action on FGM”.

On a question relating to violence against women, Reding specified that FGM is not only a matter for external action as there are 180,000 women at risk of being subjected to FGM each year in Europe. She also mentioned Euronet-FGM, which is a European network for the prevention of female genital mutilation.

END FGM welcomes her stated commitment to:

• develop research in the area of FGM
• adopt a strategy with a coherent list of actions
• consult extensively with civil society organisations
• study the legal area, and
• work with Commissioner-Designate Cecilia Malmström to harmonise criminal offences and sanctions in criminal law

“Reding’s commitments are steps in the right direction. We look forward to working with her and presenting her our strategy which aims to convert political commitments into action”, said Dr Christine Loudes, Campaign Director, END FGM European Campaign.

NOTE:

END FGM European Campaign is launching its strategy for European Union Institutions to END FGM between February and March 2010 in 5 cities across the EU.

The first launch will be hosted by AkiDwA and Amnesty International Ireland in Dublin, Ireland on 4 February 2010.