The European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium
The European Union on Tuesday said about 190,000 girls in 17 European countries are at risk of genital mutilation, noting that close to 600,000 women in Europe are living with the consequences of Female Genital Mutilation.
EU is marking Tuesday’s International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) by reaffirming its condemnation of the practice.
This was revealed in a statement from the commission, saying that; “The lives of girls are at risk, their human rights are violated, and they suffer lasting physical and psychological trauma.
“There is simply no justification,” the statement added.
The commission in the statement noted that at least 20,000 women and girls per year travel to Europe as asylum seekers from countries with a risk of FGM.
European Union is on the verge of finalising legislation on violence against women that would criminalise FGM specifically as a standalone offence.
Representatives of the European Parliament and EU member states are currently negotiating the final law.
