EMN Belgium participates in a roundtable in the Senate on the abolition of female genital mutilation
On 5 February 2025, the Belgian Contact Point to the European Migration Network (EMN) took part in a roundtable in the Senate, focusing on the abandonment of sexual mutilation. The Group for the Abolition of Sexual Mutilation (GAMS) inter alia stressed that it has limited visibility on individuals arriving in Belgium through family reunification, making it more difficult to raise awareness and monitor cases of female genital mutilation in the country.
On the occasion of the International Day for the Abandonment of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), a round table was organised in the Senate by GAMS Belgium and the End FGM European Network. The session, entitled "Towards the Abandonment of Female Genital Mutilation: A Coordinated National Approach", aimed to highlight the progress made in Belgium while also addressing key priorities and challenges.
The event served as a reminder that Belgium has implemented numerous best practices in the fight against FGM. It also provided GAMS with the opportunity to shed light on the challenges it faces. Discussions among key stakeholders focused in particular on one critical issue: GAMS has limited visibility on individuals arriving in Belgium through family reunification, making it more difficult to raise awareness and monitor cases of FGM in the country.
Additionally, the event featured a presentation by ESSEC Business School on the initial findings of their social impact assessment of GAMS Belgium. The End FGM European Network also unveiled their new European campaign, "Invest2preventFGM".
For further information, please view this web page or the GAMS website (in French or in Dutch).