End FGM EU’s recommendations to the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union

As part of our advocacy efforts, every six months we send End FGM EU’s recommendations to the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union on matters related to FGM and Gender Equality.

January 2024 marked the start of a new Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and it was time for Belgium to take the seat for 6 months. We addressed Belgium with a letter of recommendations for their ongoing semester as Presidency of the Council. Based on the trio and Presidency’s programmes, we have welcomed some of their priorities and provided recommendations on increasing the attention to gender-based violence, female genital mutilation and related files.

Among other things, we asked Belgium to;

• Prompt all Member States to seriously address Gender-Based Violence, with a focus on prevention and protection.  
• Grant international protection to survivors and people at risk of gender-based violence such as FGM. 
• Increase and improve data collection. 
• Act decisively towards the achievement of 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. 
• Increase civil society and community engagement. 

To read the full letter, click HERE!