All the ways in which End FGM EU influences policies
At End FGM EU, we influence policies using different methods.
Lobbying
We reach out to influence key decision-makers by:
- Setting up meetings, in which we provide our expertise by sharing relevant information;
- Providing quality analysis on current policies;
- Communicating our advocacy asks on the policy changes we want decision-makers to make on the issues around Gender-Based Violence and Female Genital Mutilation.
End FGM EU and Ambassador Aminata Bah met with Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli
Advisory Role
- We provide our expert advice on specific issues to decision-makers, in order to increase their engagement and capacity to tackle FGM.
- We prepare and disseminate documents produced by us and our Members in terms of:
- Situational assessments at country level on FGM (such as Shadow Reports on the implementation of the Istanbul Convention);
- Contributions to policy processes at EU and international level.
- We ensure that the expert input of our Ambassadors is brought to decision-makers and other relevant stakeholders.
- We support our Members to increase their advocacy capacities at national level, through trainings and workshops specifically tailored to them.
Campaigning
We create awareness-raising campaigns to mobilise the public, professionals and decisions-makers to act to end FGM, both online and offline.
As governments and decision-makers are ultimately accountable to their citizens, we build our campaigns around our advocacy asks, to encourage the public to:
- Amplify such messages at national level;
- Bring about social change;
- Raise awareness of FGM.
For instance, we have been involved in online campaigns around the need to increase EU budget for combatting Gender-Based Violence (you can find them here, here and here).
Partnership
We create partnerships with other organisations working towards our same goals:
- End Gender-Based Violence;
- End Female Genital Mutilation;
- Achieve gender equality;
- End discrimination.
Advocating through such partnerships is effective for successfully influencing decision-makers, by creating synergies, combining strengths and talking with a common voice.
Our Members at the heart of our work
Whilst doing this, our Members are at the heart of our work. This involves:
- Supporting their national advocacy by offering training and resources to Members, Ambassadors and Youth Ambassadors, to support them in reaching their advocacy goals.
- Ensuring that communities and community based Non-Governmental Organisations/Civil Society Organisations are key actors in tackling FGM. Our advocacy work is based on the feedback from our Members working on the ground.
- Including our Members, Ambassadors and Youth Ambassadors in our advocacy bi-lateral meetings by linking them with their respective national representatives in Brussels.
- Ensuring follow-up and implementation at national level of international and European commitments , by building tailored advocacy strategies with our Members.
Our Members and Ambassadors at End FGM EU's 2019 General Assembly
