Combating female genital mutilation in Europe : a comparative analysis of legislative and preventative tools in the Netherlands, France, the United Kingdom, and Austria

Abstract

Every year, 3 million girls and women are subjected to the harmful traditional practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Worldwide, the number of girls and women who have undergone this practice is estimated to lie between 100 and 150 million. FGM is not only an important issue in Africa, the Middle-East, and Asia where it has been traditionally practised, but due to the arrival of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers from these countries to the West, to Europe, North America, and Australia, FGM has also become a Western concern. In this thesis, I would like to explore how FGM can be combated most effectively, by means of legislative and/or preventative tools. Chapter 1 sets out what the harmful traditional practice of FGM exactly entails, where, by whom and why it is practised, and which medical and social consequences it results in. Chapter 2 addresses the human rights that are applicable to FGM and the various instruments where they are enshrined. Chapter 3, 4, 5, and 6 contain a comparative analysis of legislative and preventative tools regarding FGM in the Netherlands, France, the United Kingdom, and Austria, followed by my Concluding Observations and Recommendations.