Community Voices in Europe: Samsam Hassan bridges cultures in preventing Female Genital Mutilation
In Europe, the issue of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) has only recently entered the public sphere. It wasn’t until the adoption of the Istanbul Convention in 2011 Europe’s first binding treaty on preventing and combating violence against women, which entered into force in 2014 that FGM was officially recognised as a form of gender-based violence at European level. This formal recognition was the result of years of persistent grassroots efforts by survivors, community advocates, and frontline organisations who refused to remain silent.
The Community Voices Project aims to spotlight six of these powerful voices: activists from FGM-affected communities across France, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Through their stories, this project seeks to highlight how FGM survivors are working to contribute to stronger policy, reshaping public discourse, and challenging the deeply ingrained social and cultural norms that continue to perpetuate FGM in diaspora communities.
Samsam Hassan: living between two identities
Samsam, a 26-year-old activist born in Somalia and raised in Belgium, reflects deeply on how her identity shapes her perspective. “I grew up in a very Somali household. My parents were adamant that we grew up in our culture. So, I always had this view of both the good side and the not-so-good side of tradition.”
Her views on FGM changed over time. As a teenager, she first reacted with shock: “How could people do this?”. But with time, she came to understand it less as cruelty and more as a consequence of social norms, tradition, and pressure.
As a “diaspora kid,” she navigates between two worlds: resisting her own “occidental gaze" while also recognising that her perspective differs from women in Somalia itself. Feminism became a key part of her identity early on, which shaped her approach to FGM advocacy.
From translator to activist
Samsam’s activism began informally when she was only 15. She often translated during medical appointments for women in her community. That’s where she first noticed how unprepared professionals were.
“I did witness a few gynecology appointments, where they didn't know what was happening, they didn't care much, they didn't understand. They were a bit unsensitive when it came to FGM.”
Years later, Samsam joined GAMS Belgium as a community voice and later as an intern. For her, community voices are essential: “Even though they do understand it's harmful, they have a hard time engaging with the anti-FGM work, because it feels like a betrayal to their own communities. This is why it's so important to involve the people from the community within the work, so they don't feel disconnected.“
Activism without resources
Like many young activists, Samsam faces the constant challenge of funding.
“It's very hard to get funds. It's very hard to hire people. When you have to submit a project to the city council, or to the government, or to the federal institutions, you always have to make it sound the way they want it to sound.”
Prevention over punishment
Belgium outlawed FGM back in 2001, the law is in place, but it is not effective. According to the Baseline Evaluation Report 2020 developed by GREVIO “the existing coding system does not allow law enforcement agencies to prioritise cases where there is a risk of female genital mutilation in line with the danger to victims". For Samsam, that proves that laws alone don’t work.
“Legislation is important, law is important. Punishment doesn't solve problems. Punishment comes as a last resort. If it reaches the point of punishment, it means there were many opportunities for the government to make different choices before taking punitive actions. It's very important to rewind and work at the root and to do prevention work with children, moms, parents and people in the community."
Looking forward
Despite barriers, Samsam continues her activism with determination, grounded in empathy and community-led action.
“Laws do not change. Prevention does.”
She strives for a Europe where prevention is prioritised, survivors are supported from the first point of contact, and anti-FGM activism is fully recognised as part of the wider fight for equality and human rights.
To find out more about the project and the other activists’ journeys, click here!