On International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (6 February), Assita Kanko said: “We must work hard towards a world in which every woman and girl can lead a dignified life. That is my ambition as a co-negotiator”.

Female genital mutilation leads to the partial or complete removal of the external genitalia of the girl or woman. It is a practice that still occurs far too often worldwide, including on European territory. Often, the consequences of this mutilation are felt by the women for the rest of their lives, both physically and mentally. ECR Group Vice-Chair Assita Kanko, who underwent this mutilation at the age of five and experiences its consequences, has been fighting against this horrific practice for years. In the European Parliament, Kanko continues this battle as a co-negotiator for the new Directive to combat violence against women and domestic violence.

Assita Kanko hopes for strict, harmonised rules in the European Member States against the practice of female genital mutilation, so that every girl is spared this horror. That no more girls’ lives are destroyed, simply because they are girls. “Genital mutilation is an assault on the body, mind, and autonomy of girls. It is also a violation of European core values” Kanko said.

Currently, only eighteen member states have specific legislation regarding female genital mutilation. Nine Member States do not have separate criminal law provisions for this. A survey by the European Commission also revealed that in many EU Member States, there is no obligation for doctors to report female genital mutilation, and this often does not happen due to fear of reprisals. In addition, in many Member States, there are too few specialised service providers to assist victims.

“Female genital mutilation is an extreme form of violence and discrimination against women and girls. We must work hard towards a world in which every woman and girl can lead a dignified life. A world in which every woman and girl has the right to make her own decisions. Where they can live without pain and shame. We can build that world. A world where the health and well-being of every woman is protected and valued. That starts with successful integration, with better laws, and with better enforcement of the law. Tradition or religion should never be above the law.

“Therefore, with the Directive to combat violence against women and domestic violence, we must make concrete progress in the way we protect women from violence and give them hope and freedom,” concludes Kanko.