Inside End FGM EU's General Assembly 2026
On June 4th and 5th, we welcomed our members to Brussels for our Annual General Assembly, one of the most important occasions of our Network to meet, share ideas and collaborate on our upcoming initiatives.
This event represents one of the most significant moments for the Network, because it reunites the Board, the Members, the Secretariat and our Ambassadors to reflect on the past year and strategise how to advance our efforts to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Europe.
Our work and impact in 2025
This was an occasion to talk about the internal work of the Network during 2025, to present and vote on the budget and Work Plan for 2026, and to welcome new members. Marianne Nguena Kana, our Director, presented the impact report for 2025 that you can access at this link.
It was a year full of new initiatives and collaborations. In 2025, we launched our annual campaign, #Invest2Prevent, calling for greater investment to end FGM and address persistent funding gaps. We also strengthened partnerships at the national level and played an active role in shaping political declarations and advocacy initiatives.
We launched the new SAFE project, an EU-funded initiative working to prevent FGM and Early and Forced Marriage (EFM), while supporting survivors across five European countries.
We welcomed a new board and new members to the Network!
One of the crucial moments of the General Assembly was the Board Elections and the collective evaluation of the applications of the new members wishing to join our Network!
According to the Network’s Statutes, the Board can consist of 3 to 7 with overlapping mandates, Sona Fati and Rohma Ullah were both reelected for a second mandate, respectively as board member and co-president and we are thrilled to announce the election of one new Board Member: Umyma El Jelede (FEM SUD – Austria), who brings long experience in adopting a holistic approach to support survivors, working with communities and training of social and health workers.
We are also pleased to announce that we have 1 new full member, our first member in Luxembourg and the first two Friends of End FGM EU.
These new members will bring valuable data and fresh perspectives to our network, strengthening our collective impact:
GAMS Lu (Luxembourg) Full member
Zinduka e. V. (Germany) Friend of End FGM EU
Voix des Femmes (France) Friend of End FGM EU
On Day 2 Our Ambassadors presented the Ambassador Programme!
The Youth and Senior Ambassadors gave an overview of their programme. They illustrated their objectives: to amplify community voices, raise awareness, exchange and share knowledge. The programme is intergenerational and brings together activists from different countries.
Learn more about the ambassadors programme here.
This is an opportunity to look back on our 2025 intergenerational meeting, which brought together ambassadors from different backgrounds and generations to exchange ideas, share experiences, and inspire one another. It is also a chance to revisit the many activities our ambassadors took part in throughout the year, including the European Week of Action for Girls (EWAG), the XIV International Conference on Female Genital Mutilation, and many other advocacy and awareness-raising initiatives.
Shifting towards transformative language
During the second day, our team was able to facilitate workshops and discussions with the attendees. Our senior communications officer, Victor Verdier led a session on transformative language, exploring how the words we choose can challenge unequal power relations, avoid stigmatising and discriminatory framing, centre the agency of people affected by FGM, and promote social change rather than simply describing a situation.
Beyond relativism: Toward Community – Led liberation
Amal Rahman, policy and advocacy assistant, guided a discussion highlighting the importance of decolonising the discourse surrounding FGM, recognising that patriarchy exists everywhere and that ending FGM is a matter of universal human rights. The reflection was based on the common acknowledgement that ending this practice must be culturally relevant and driven by the affected communities. Members joined actively in the discussion and shared their insights.
A toolkit to counter the weaponisation of FGM in policy-making and political debates
Nejma Sayeh, policy and advocacy officer, and Xheni Dani, senior policy and advocacy coordinator, presented their Rapid Response Toolkit, providing allied Members of the European Parliament with practical guidance to advance our goal of sustainably ending FGM and resist the manipulation of gender-based violence to fuel other political agendas.
They offered strategies and concrete examples to counter the weaponisation of FGM, placing human rights, intersectionality, and decolonial approaches at the center. Xheni and Nejma encouraged Members to join the discussion and provide their suggestions to MEPs, facilitating an interactive session.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended our annual event, both in person and online. We look forward to seeing you again next year for another inspiring General Assembly!
