End FGM EU at The 2018 European Development Days

The decision to cut or not to cut a girl’s genitals is often not an individual one. Families, communities and social pressure play a huge role in the centuries old practice.

Each year, 180,000 girls and women in Europe are estimated to be at risk of FGM. Today, FGM is practiced by several diaspora communities based in Europe who have strong transnational linkages with their countries of origin.

In 2017, End FGM EU & it’s Members launched the ‘Building Bridges’ incentive: effective strategies to end FGM shaped around bi- and multilateral discussions between countries and communities to develop cross-border measures between Europe and countries of origin. As part of the European Development Days 2018, Members of End FGM EU and collaborating organisation GIZ will share the experiences and successes of their projects using the “building bridges” approach as part of a panel session.

Among the presentations will feature a pilot project on how a building bridge approach and multimedia tools can contribute to ending FGM linking professionals and activists through the Afro-European Community of practice (CoP); communities in Mali with Malian migrants in France; young Afro-European activists with young Africans through the use of videos. The pilot project shows a concrete example of how the use of information and communication technologies can create such links and exchange of practices.

The session will be moderated by award-winning Al Jazeera journalist Fatma Naib.

Visit the session page on the EDD website here

For further information click here.