Despite relentless efforts by European authorities to eliminate female genital mutilation (FGM), the brutal practice persists in secrecy, carried out by certain minority communities. Governments have implemented strict laws, awareness campaigns, and intervention programs, yet the deep roots of this barbaric custom continue to override human rights, leaving thousands of girls scarred for life. This is not just a failure of legislation or law enforcement; it is a failure of our collective conscience.
FGM is not a religious requirement. It is not written in any holy scripture, nor does it hold any divine significance. Yet, proponents of the practice, whether through ignorance or intentional deception, continue to propagate the lie that it is a sacred duty. The reality is far more sinister: FGM is a tool of control, a mechanism designed to suppress female autonomy, subjugate women, and reinforce patriarchal dominance.
It is no secret that migrant communities in Europe have brought with them cultural practices that clash with fundamental European values. While diversity enriches societies, it cannot, under any circumstances, justify the systematic mutilation of girls under the guise of tradition. Authorities have spent decades trying to engage with these communities, educating them, offering alternatives, and emphasizing that such acts are both illegal and morally indefensible. Yet, the clandestine nature of FGM means that despite prohibitions, it continues in private homes, underground clinics, or even during visits to their countries of origin.
Europe prides itself on being a beacon of human rights, gender equality, and personal freedoms. Yet, there is an uncomfortable paradox: while activists march for gender rights, while politicians deliver speeches on the importance of protecting women, there are young girls, many of them born in Europe, who are forcibly held down as their bodies are mutilated. The screams of these children rarely make it into public discourse, drowned out by political correctness and a reluctance to challenge cultural sensitivities.
But let us be clear: there is no cultural defence for child abuse. There is no religious justification for torture. If European leaders truly stand for human rights, they must abandon their fear of being labelled intolerant or culturally insensitive. The rights of a child to bodily integrity far outweigh the so-called right of a community to preserve an inhumane custom.
FGM is illegal across the European Union. Nations have enacted legislation to prosecute those responsible, yet convictions remain rare. The fear of ‘damaging community relations’ often trumps the urgency to intervene. Social workers, healthcare professionals, and even educators are reluctant to report suspicions, wary of being accused of discrimination. Meanwhile, the victims, powerless and often too young to understand what is happening, are left to suffer in silence.
When cases are reported, they are often met with inadequate responses. Authorities hesitate to remove children from at-risk environments, courts struggle with insufficient evidence, and in many instances, families simply transport girls back to their home countries, where procedures can be performed without consequence. The message is clear: European governments can declare war on FGM, but without enforcement, their words are meaningless.
The solution requires more than just laws on paper. It requires aggressive intervention at every level:
Mandatory medical examinations for at-risk children. If authorities can conduct welfare checks for malnourishment or abuse, why not for FGM?
Zero tolerance for offenders. Any parent or guardian found guilty of subjecting a child to FGM should face severe legal repercussions, including the loss of custody.
Protection for whistleblowers. Teachers, doctors, and social workers must feel safe to report suspicions without fear of accusations of cultural bias.
Education within communities. Rather than relying solely on punitive measures, outreach programs must work directly with communities to dismantle the myths surrounding FGM.
Strict border control measures. Families suspected of planning to take their daughters abroad for the procedure should be stopped before the damage is done.
The European Union has outlawed FGM, but the battle is far from won. Every time a child is mutilated, it is a failure of justice. Every time a government looks the other way, it is an act of complicity. The fundamental rights of women and girls cannot be sacrificed at the altar of cultural relativism.
If Europe truly champions human rights, it must prove it. Not just in words, but in decisive action. Anything less is hypocrisy.
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