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Written by Rosamund Shreeves.

As part of broader efforts to combat all forms of violence against women and girls, the European Union (EU) is committed to working collectively to eradicate female genital mutilation (FGM) and to supporting its Member States’ efforts in this field. The European Commission assesses EU measures to combat FGM every year, on or around 6 February – the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation.

Facts and figures

Female genital mutilation (FGM) includes all procedures that intentionally alter or cause injury to the female genital organs for non-medical purposes. FGM is carried out for cultural, religious and social reasons, mostly on young girls between infancy and the age of 15. It has no health benefits and can result in serious effects on health and wellbeing, even death, while generating considerable healthcare costs.

The exact number of girls and women affected by FGM is not known, but the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that, worldwide, at least 200 million women and girls have been ‘cut’, while around 4 million girls are at risk of undergoing FGM every year. The practice, most common in 28 African countries, is also prevalent in parts of the Middle East and Asia, and reported to a lesser extent elsewhere. Analysis by UNICEF and the UN Population Fund shows that it has declined strongly in some countries over the past decade, but stagnated in others. Population growth in high-risk areas, multiple crises and pushbacks against efforts to combat FGM threaten progress. FGM performed by health professionals is gaining traction in some countries. This does not reduce harm and is contrary to medical ethics.

FGM is not covered in the EU-wide survey on violence against women. Data on FGM prevalence in Europe are lacking. Four studies conducted by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) between 2012 and 2020, found that there are victims (or potential victims) in at least 16 EU countries: Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Finland and Sweden. The European End FGM network estimates that there are over 600 000 FGM survivors living in Europe and that 180 000 girls are at risk in 13 European countries alone. Around 20 000 women and girls from FGM-practising countries seek asylum in the EU every year, with an estimated 1 000 asylum claims relating directly to FGM. This number has grown steadily since 2008.

Commitments and action to combat FGM

FGM is a form of child abuse and gender-based violence, and is recognised internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. The practice also violates a person’s rights to health, security and physical integrity; the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment; and the right to life in cases where the procedure results in death. Measures have been adopted at international, EU and national level to prevent FGM and to protect FGM victims.

Instruments and action at international level

At international level, United Nations (UN), African Union and Council of Europe standards are benchmarks for work to combat FGM. Key treaties, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Geneva Convention, all cover FGM indirectly, with specific guidance on protection and asylum for victims. In Africa, the 15 parties to the Maputo Protocol have committed to eliminate FGM (Article V). The Council of Europe’s Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention) is the first treaty to recognise that FGM exists in Europe (Article 38). It sets out specific obligations on preventing and combating the practice and providing support for victims and those at risk.

The UN’s longstanding efforts to end the practice culminated in its first specific resolution on FGM in 2012. The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development identifies FGM as a harmful practice, to be eliminated by 2030 (SDG 5, target 5.3). The UN has named 6 February the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM. The European Commission takes stock annually, around that day, of EU efforts to combat FGM.

EU legislation, policy and funding

The EU Treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights affirm the principles of gender equality and non-discrimination, guaranteeing the right to dignity and including provisions on the right to physical and mental integrity. In 2024, the EU adopted a Directive on combating violence against women, to be transposed into national law by June 2027. It requires Member States to criminalise FGM as a specific offence, sets a maximum prison sentence of no less than five years for perpetrators and improves support for victims. It also aims to implement the Istanbul Convention in areas of EU competence, including judicial cooperation in criminal matters and asylum policy. EU asylum law is relevant for asylum-seekers affected by or at risk of FGM. The current legislation recognises FGM victims as vulnerable asylum applicants requiring specific support. New legislation on reception conditions and qualification for international protection, due to enter into application in 2026, also recognises FGM victims as asylum applicants with special needs, and stipulates that specific forms of support should be provided. The proposed revision of the Victims’ Rights Directive would also strengthen support for victims of FGM.

Combating gender-based violence, including FGM, is one of the priorities of the EU’s external action and its internal strategies on children’s rights and gender equality. The EU has recognised the need for a coordinated approach to combating FGM. In 2013, it set a framework for action across the fields of justice, police, health, social services, child protection, education, immigration and asylum and external relations. The objectives include: developing reliable EU-level data, improving access to support and justice for victims, raising awareness among relevant professionals and communities, ensuring that EU asylum and victim protection legislation is implemented effectively, and promoting the elimination of FGM worldwide. To complement this framework and the Directive on combating violence against women, the Commission has committed to tabling a recommendation on preventing and combating FGM and other harmful practices.

Funding for tackling FGM is provided through the joint EU-UN Spotlight Initiative and EU funding programmes, notably the longstanding Daphne strand, which continues under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme for 2021 to 2027. In 2023, the Commission accepted the need for more effective tracking of Spotlight Initiative funding allocated to fighting FGM. It also recognised the need for further action to raise awareness in the communities concerned within the EU.

National-level instruments against FGM

Many of the actions needed to end FGM lie within the competences of the Member States. FGM is a prosecutable offence under national law in all Member States, either as a specific criminal act or as an act of bodily harm or injury. However, very few cases are brought to court. Some Member States have developed national action plans on FGM. Continuing issues of concern include barriers to reporting and successful prosecution, victim support, and ways to ensure long-term, sustainable cultural change. Civil society organisations urge the Member States and the EU institutions to use the Directive on violence against women, the reform of asylum legislation and the next multiannual EU budget as a spur to improve FGM prevention and support for survivors. They also call on the Commission to adopt the recommendation on harmful practices in 2025.

European Parliament position

The European Parliament has played an important role in raising awareness and pushing for firm action on FGM, including through the work of its Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). Parliament adopted resolutions on FGM in 2001, 2009, 2012, 2014, and 2018, calling on the Commission and Member States to provide the legal and other means required to raise awareness, protect and support victims and ensure that offenders are prosecuted. Parliament has called for appropriate protection for women and girls seeking asylum on grounds of FGM. In 2020, it set out its own recommendations for an EU strategy to put an end to FGM around the world and, in 2021, called for coordination of external and internal action. In 2024, Parliament pledged its support for efforts to eradicate FGM where progress was at risk. It pushed for strong provisions on accessible specialist support for FGM victims in the Directive on combating violence against women. Parliament has also welcomed the Commission’s plan to table a recommendation on preventing and combating harmful practices.

This publication is a further update of an ‘at a glance’ note originally published in January 2015.

Read this ‘at a glance’ note on ‘Zero tolerance for female genital mutilation‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

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