Speech ‘Uniting Europe and Africa to fight Female Genital Mutilation’
Ladies and gentlemen,
This conference has the title, ‘Uniting Europe and Africa to fight Female Genital Mutilation’, an aim which I wholeheartedly endorse. If we are to counter FGM, we must indeed cooperate. If we really want to do something about this violation of children’s and women’s rights and combat this irreversible form of child abuse and mutilation, Europe and Africa must work together.
Your presence here in The Hague today shows you agree with me. It would therefore be wonderful if today’s proceedings would culminate in the production of a formal conference statement, calling upon the future Presidencies of the Council of the European Union to place the topic of FGM on the agenda. Such a statement would demonstrate that all those present regard European cooperation as vital in the fight against FGM.
But such a statement alone will not make this a successful conference. Effective cooperation demands more. We must learn from each other. We must acquaint ourselves with the successful initiatives already under way in several countries, in both Africa and Europe. And, of course, we must learn from each other’s mistakes as well. Furthermore, I consider it very important that we gain an accurate impression of the facts surrounding FGM. Exactly how many women have already been a victim of the practice, and how many girls and young women are at risk?
In fact, the picture in Africa is somewhat clearer than here in Europe. The majority of African countries have gathered statistics and know the current situation reasonably well.
Unfortunately, this cannot be said of the European countries, including the Netherlands. For example, we know that 97% of women in Somalia have been genitally mutilated. But does this also mean that 97% of the Somali women living in the Netherlands are affected by this practice? Hard figures are not available.
However, some research has been carried out in the Netherlands among obstetricians. In this country, every expectant mother is entitled to attend an obstetrician throughout her pregnancy. We asked these care providers to estimate the proportion of women from the high-risk countries who have been genitally mutilated. The answer was forty per cent. Although this figure is not based on scientific evidence, it does provide some indication.
The lack of exact numbers makes it very difficult to assess whether current government policy in the Netherlands – for which I am responsible – is actually preventing circumcisions. I am of course working on obtaining more accurate statistics. For example, I have asked obstetricians to record the number of genitally mutilated women they encounter in their practice.
But the ideal situation would be one in which all European countries gather this information in the same way. I would therefore like to urge the European countries to make a start in collecting reliable and comparable data as soon as this conference ends.
At the same time, let us remember that the absence of accurate statistics is no reason to delay action. It is clear that FGM still occurs, not only in Africa but here in Europe as well.
I would like to give you a brief impression of what the Netherlands is doing to combat FGM.
Our policy has two main components: prevention and repression. We reach out to the risk groups, providing information which explains exactly what genital mutilation entails. We also provide information for the professionals who may come into contact with those risk groups. In addition, everyone must be made fully aware that FGM is illegal and therefore subject to criminal prosecution in the Netherlands.
As you may understand, our primary approach is that of prevention. We offer good information about what FGM entails, its physical effects, the fact that it is illegal, and so on. All this information has to be accessible, and presented in a way that ensures that the message gets across to the target group. And who better to do so than members of that target group themselves? They offer the best possible access to the people we are trying to reach, and their involvement enhances the credibility of the information. Members of the same ethnic group have easier access to risk families than native Dutchmen and will have fewer difficulties broaching the subject of female genital mutilation.
This is the approach we have – successfully – followed in six Dutch cities over the past few years.
A large number of at-risk families have been contacted and been given clear information.
Information has also been provided to professionals working at preventive youth healthcare organizations. Courses have been organized for members of the medical and legal professions, leading to even better cooperation between all professionals who are likely to come into contact with high-risk families. These courses have also served to bridge the cultural differences between the various professional groups.
Despite the lack of accurate statistics to back up this claim, this approach appears to be effective. I therefore intend to implement a similar methodology nationwide at the end of this year, for which I will involve local authorities and the preventive youth healthcare.
Furthermore, I want to use this day to officially launch a national campaign under the slogan 'Say No to FGM'.
We hope that as many risk group organisations and communities as possible will publicly condemn the practice.
This is an extension of the ongoing international campaign 'We Can', which Bert Koenders, the Netherlands Minister for Development Cooperation, and I announced earlier this year.
'We Can' strives to put an end to all forms of violence against women. It relies on various coalition partners and a number of 'change-makers' – the people and organisations who take direct action to counter violence against women – all of whom have a very important role to play.
Today, I want to appoint four 'ambassadors' for the 'Say No to FGM’ campaign. They will visit various organisations and communities and persuade them to publicly endorse the campaign message. I am confident that, once they have made their opposition to FGM known, there will be a trickle down effect within the entire risk group.
Presenting for the first time, the ambassadors of the national campagne ‘Say no to FGM’….. (FILMPJE VAN AMBASSADEURS START)
Another plank in the Netherlands' efforts to prevent FGM is the 'Declaration against Female Genital Mutilation'.This is a document which parents from the risk countries are invited to sign – there is no obligation – stating that they will not subject their daughters to genital mutilation in another country.
The declaration was inspired by the French Attest pour voyage, but it is not an exact copy. Although the Dutch version is a government document, it enjoys the full support of various NGOs, migrant organisations and professional groups.
Parents are invited to sign the document by an employee of the preventive youth health care organizations. In the Netherlands, these departments reach approximately 98% of all children.
The parents are expected to take the signed declaration with them every time they travel abroad.
When visiting their family, they can show that female genital mutilation is a criminal offence in the Netherlands, thus helping to overcome any pressure from relatives.
The occasion at which the document is signed is also an excellent opportunity to provide information about the adverse health effects of genital mutilation, and about children's rights in general.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am nearing my conclusion.
I have given you a brief outline of what the Netherlands is doing to counter FGM. But again, it is important that we cooperate in pursuing our objective. We must all, Africans and Europeans alike, unite and work together. We owe that to all women around the world. All women must be able to rely on our protection against this disgraceful practice. To achieve this, we must build bridges, within Europe as well as between Europe and Africa, at both government and grassroots level.
I have taken a first step by inviting representatives of various African and European countries to this conference.
A second step will be taken next year, when my colleague Bert Koenders and I will visit Africa in person. We shall then be able to see the situation at first hand, discover what the Netherlands is able to learn from current initiatives, and identify opportunities for further cooperation. It will be rather like development cooperation in reverse!
Finally, I wish to call upon all European organisations involved in the fight against FGM to form alliances with their counterparts in Africa, and vice versa of course.
But as far as today is concerned, I look forward to hearing how other countries are combatting FGM. I trust that at the end of the day we will be able to sign a joint statement which enjoys everyone's full support, in which we call upon the future Presidencies of the Council of the European Union to place the matter firmly on the agenda.