A leading campaigner against female genital mutilation (FGM) has urged the government tackle the problem when Cyprus assumes the presidency in July.
Speaking before the house Human Rights and Equal Opportunities committee, END FGM campaign director Christine Loudes said the European Commission has requested the European Gender Institute to map the prevalence, legislation, policies and practices on FGM in the EU.
During Cyprus’ presidency, Loudes said, the European Gender Institute is expected to release its study.
“The campaign urges the Honourable Members of this Committee to ensure that the Cypriot Government lead its European counter parts in the development of an action plan based on the findings of this study,” she said.
She added that she was delighted to see that the House Committee on Gender Equality and Human Rights was giving due consideration to this issue.
“We discussed how Cyprus can work at a national level and at EU level towards ending the practice of female genital mutilation,” she said expressing satisfaction about the Committee’s initiatives on this issue.
Loudes will meet tomorrow with the labour ministry to develop a plan of action for the European Union.
Every year 18,000 girls are at risk of being exposed to FGM, and worldwide this risk is about 8,000 women or girls a day, Loudes said. In contrast 7400 are at risk of contracting HIV.
Parliamentary Committee president Sophocles Fyttis said it supports the campaign because the practice of FGM was a barbaric anachronism.
Fyttis said that Cyprus since 2003 has incorporated provisions in its Criminal Code that punish those who practice FGM to five years imprisonment, whether they are Cypriots or foreigners who did that outside Cyprus.
He also said that the Committee decided on actions for further enlightenment and prevention of this phenomenon, including a letter to the Cypriot European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth Androulla Vassiliou and the promotion of several actions during Cyprus EU presidency.
The Mediterranean Institute for Gender Studies, which works with Amnesty International in Cyprus for the project, said Cyprus should focus on providing protection and support to these women after FGM, who come to Cyprus as immigrants.
Two immigrant women were recognized in 2011 to suffer FGM, according to figures provided by representative of Asylum Service Laura Iakovidou. The two women went to the hospital after an infection due to FGM.
