ESC: Understanding and supporting the work of community-based organisations

The End FGM European Network (End FGM EU) is an umbrella network of 24 national organisations working in 13 European countries and who are expert on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). End FGM EU operates as a meeting ground for communities, civil society organisations, decision-makers and other relevant actors at European level to interact, cooperate and join forces to end all forms of FGM in Europe and beyond. We put at the heart of our work grassroots voices to influence European governments and policy-makers to work towards the elimination of FGM. We build our members’ capacity, offer spaces to share expertise and develop partnerships. While being dedicated to being the driving force of the European movement to end FGM, we are equally committed to build bridges and cooperation with all relevant actors in the field of FGM both in Europe and globally. In this sense, we actively promote and foster cooperation between the European movement and movements in other regions of the world. Our Strategic Objectives are the following: 1) ENSURE A EUROPEAN, COORDINATED AND HUMAN RIGHTS BASED AND CHILD FOCUSED APPROACH TO END FGM - Objective 1: Increase the engagement and capacity of policy and decision makers, professionals and other relevant stakeholders to tackle FGM - Objective 2: Enable communities and community based NGOs/ CSOs to be key actors in tackling FGM - Objective 3: Increase understanding of FGM among the general public to foster citizens’ involvement in the European movement against FGM based on an empowering, non-stigmatising communication approach - Objective 4: Monitor and support the implementation of existing national, EU, European and international commitments and instruments on FGM towards the provision of prevention and protection measures and services 2) BUILD BRIDGES BETWEEN RELEVANT ACTORS AND COUNTRIES TO END FGM - Objective 5: foster and facilitate synergies and cooperation between actors in the EU and in countries of origin in order to better tackle the cross-border nature of FGM - Objective 6: Sustain End FGM EU’s role as European focal point in the global movement to End FGM in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the European Consensus on Development 3) STRENGTHEN THE EUROPEAN MOVEMENT TO END FGM - Objective 7: Strengthen the capacity, outreach, visibility and sustainability of End FGM EU and of its members - Objective 8: Expand the membership to include members throughout Europe We carry out activities in the following areas: - Policy influencing and monitoring: The Network advocates to ensure a European, coordinated and human rights based & child-focused approach to end FGM. To do this, we bring together our members and other stakeholders to collectively influence the policies and practices of the EU and national governments. The Network also provides training, advice and support to Network members on advocacy at EU and national level so they are kept abreast of all recent events, updates and changes in EU policy. - Changing the narrative: The Network places a strong focus on the narrative that follows FGM believing that the use of non-stigmatizing, empowering language, allows for more open dialogues both with communities, professionals and decision makers.The Network has been working consistently at developing materials to equip the press & media, policy makers, relevant stakeholders and the public with more sensitized terminology tools that allow for more open dialogues in all areas. - Building Bridges: Fostering dialogues across all different sectors unites the European movement to share in once voice in ending FGM. A key priority of the Network is ensuring that all work and dialogue around FGM must encompass all areas FGM lends itself to including the law, health, asylum, media, social protection and education. Through knowledge exchange of the different sectors, a better understand of how to end FGM for good can be reached. - Campaigns: Every year we select a theme for our awareness raising campaigns or pledges to mobilise the public, professionals and decisions makers to act to end female genital mutilation. In 2018 our theme is FGM is #MyIssueToo. In 2019 our theme is #MyVoiceMatters to empower communities to raise and end FGM - Enabling Communities: The Network is comprised of organisations that either work primarily as grassroots organisations or who have grassroot programmes. These programmes work with community leaders such as Imams, doctors and survivor activists, training them to influence their wider community, encouraging them to stop the practice of FGM and warning them of the consequences. End FGM EU’s current grassroot programmes are our Ambassadors and our Youth Programmes.