Our recommendations to the German Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Every new presidency of the Council of the European Union, the End FGM European Networks sends our recommendations on different issues that are linked to FGM and Gender Equality.

Today we have addressed our letter with recommendations to the German Presidency.

In our letter we have made several recommendations based on our reading of the Presidency Trio (formed by Germany, Portugal and Slovenia) programme and the German Presidency programme and priorities.

The Trio’s programme key area on protecting citizens and freedoms, is of great interest to End FGM EU, since it entails the Trio’s commitment to: mainstreaming equality, including gender equality, youth empowerment, social inclusion, combatting gender-based violence and fighting against all forms of discrimination, especially considering the increase in inequalities and discrimination exacerbated by COVID-19.

As for the German Presidency’s programme, End FGM makes critical recommendations about the guiding principle III. A fair Europe, and the guiding principle VI. An effective European Union for a rules-based international order anchored in partnership which are directly linked to the issues we work on.

These recommendations include:

·an intersectional approach

·listening to the voices and recommendations of women with heightened vulnerability, civil society, grassroots and women's organisations

·an EU gender-sensitive COVID-19 response, involving women and girls-led initiatives within the crisis response

·keeping the need for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and GBV services, including FGM, at the core of the pandemic response

·taking into consideration within the EU-Africa partnership key areas such as promoting universal access for women and girls to health services

We trust that the Presidency will be inspired by the objective “Together for Europe’s recovery” and so we strongly recommend that the Covid19 EU recovery plans do not come at the expenses of EU values.

Find the complete letter and all our recommendations here.