Zero Tolerance for FGM 2026: a look back at our event at the European Parliament

On 5 February 2026, on the eve of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), the End FGM European Network (End FGM EU) brought together policymakers, activists, professionals and survivors at the European Parliament for an event called “Care in Action: a collective stand to end FGM”.

Co-hosted by members of the European Parliament (MEP) Melissa Camara and Cecilia Strada, the discussion focused on how prevention, protection, solidarity and accountability can turn commitments into concrete care in action to end FGM. This meeting is part of End FGM EU’s annual engagement to strengthen the visibility of Zero Tolerance to FGM at the European Parliament.

Opening the event, MEP Cecilia Strada reaffirmed her ongoing commitment to ending FGM, highlighting the importance of existing frameworks still needing full implementation, such as the Istanbul Convention and the Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence. This intervention echoed two further messages from Members of the European Parliament, with recorded contributions from Sirpa Pietikäinen and Estrella Galán reinforcing the cross-party responsibility to resist rollbacks on gender equality and bodily autonomy. These Members of the European Parliament have all joined the #MEPs2EndFGM initiative, aimed at strengthening allyship with policymakers to advance FGM elimination in EU policies.

Birgit Van Hout, Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Representation Office in Brussels, then took the stage and provided a global perspective on the state of efforts to end FGM, highlighting where progress is being made and where gaps persist. She underlined the critical role of the UNFPA UNICEF Joint Programme in supporting survivor care, called for sustained political commitment and coordinated international action to accelerate measurable impact.

The event notably marked the launch of End FGM EU’s 2026 campaign #CareInAction2EndFGM, presented by Victor Verdier, Senior Communications Officer at End FGM EU. At a time of shrinking resources and growing political backlash against gender equality, #CareInAction2EndFGM highlights the need for investment, coordinated policies and the meaningful inclusion of survivors and affected communities to ensure that commitments translate into real and lasting change.

The campaign is centred around the question, “We care to end FGM, do you?”, inviting readers to pause and reflect, while encouraging them to engage with the campaign and share tailored visuals that resonated most with them on social media to help raise awareness.

A central panel discussion titled “Resisting the instrumentalisation: sustaining the commitments to end FGM in Europe and beyond” was moderated by Xheni Dani, Policy and Advocacy Coordinator at the End FGM European Network. The discussion explored the growing political exploitation of FGM and its impact on prevention, protection and trust with affected communities. The panel brought together speakers from civil society, youth movements, research institutions and the European Parliament:

- Aissatou Diallo Bah, President of AHCAMA, who works with migrant communities in Spain to support women affected by gender-based violence and a leading voice against FGM.

- Alimat Babatunde, youth ambassador at End FGM EU and AKIDWA, involved in efforts to end FGM in Ireland and across Europe.

- MEP Melissa Camara, Member of the European Parliament, a feminist and antiracist activist serving on the Committee on women’s rights and gender equality (FEMM) and Committee on civil liberties, justice and home affairs (LIBE).

- Monica Barbovschi, researcher at the European Institute for Gender Equality, with a focus on data and policy related to gender-based violence, including FGM.

- Sawsane Djazouli, Policy and Communications Officer at #Diaspora Vote!, focused on anti-racism, civic participation and youth empowerment.

This discussion reminded us that care is not neutral: when laws are challenged and rights are politicised, care becomes resistance. This message resonated with the audience; many participants took the opportunity to share their concerns and reaffirm our joint commitment to ending FGM but not without addressing its instrumentalisation.

Then the event continued with a spotlight on the voices of survivors: REV Valerie Lolomari MBE, activist and founder of Women of Grace UK, delivered a powerful intervention grounded in her own experience. Drawing on more than a decade of frontline work supporting survivors, she highlighted the persistent challenges faced by women affected by FGM and SGBV, and stressed that policies and strategies cannot succeed when they are disconnected from lived realities. Speaking both as an expert and as a survivor, she called on institutions and policymakers to amplify survivor voices and strengthen grassroots organisations so that care becomes truly protective and accountable.

Hadja Lahbib, European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, addressed participants through a video message, reaffirming that ending FGM requires political leadership, sustained commitment and accountability at the highest level. Her message underlined that ending FGM is not only a matter of awareness, but of political will and long-term investment, reinforcing the core message of #CareInAction2EndFGM: care means taking responsibility, backing commitments with resources and ensuring accountability at every level.

Discover her message here:

As the event moved towards its conclusion, the focus shifted from shared analysis to collective responsibility. Lina Gálvez Muñoz, MEP and Chair of the Committee on FEMM, reflected on the discussions of the day and the role of the European Parliament in turning commitments into concrete and measurable action to advance gender equality and end FGM.

The discussion closed with remarks from Aminata Sidibe, co-president of End FGM EU, who emphasised the challenges faced by frontline actors and called on institutions, funders and partners to ensure sustained investment so that care truly reaches all women and girls in their diversity affected by FGM.

To finish, End FGM EU’s Director, Marianne Nguena Kana, reminded participants that care must be continued throughout the year, not only on 6 February, restating the key message of the campaign presented: supporting the #CareInAction2EndFGM campaign all year long is essential to ensure that awareness translates into prevention, protection and meaningful change.

Download the campaign toolkit

We would like to thank all speakers and co-hosts for joining us in these important conversations and all participants for attending the event thank you for showing that you care about ending FGM!