The Demands Of The Desert Flower Foundation

Female genital mutilation is a crime!
The United Nations, the European and African Union, and all other international organisations must adopt such a declaration on behalf of all their member states - and ensure that the public knows about it. So that no one can ever again say that he/she did not know that FGM is a crime!

Female genital mutilation is prohibited in many countries. The problem is that the laws are often incomplete.
Therefore:
a) FGM must be categorised as a crime worldwide and precisely defined so that there can no longer be any doubt as to when it is a case of genital mutilation.
b) FGM must be consistently prosecuted - regardless of the nationality of the perpetrator, regardless of the nationality of the victim, regardless of the location of the crime. Any perpetrator must be held liable under all circumstances for the genital mutilation of a girl.
c) Any suspicion of genital mutilation must (!) lead to a criminal investigation.
d) A gynaecological examination of a potential victim and her sisters must be a mandatory part of any investigation - regardless of the parents' consent.

What applies to the laws prohibiting FGM also applies to child protection. This applies when it comes to preventing the threat of genital mutilation. Many countries also have appropriate regulations in this regard - but there are gaps here too. Especially when girls from migrant families are sent to their countries of origin for genital mutilation during the school holidays.
The keys of effective child protection:
(a) Early intervention must be possible - not just when there is acute danger.
b) Any suspicion of imminent mutilation must lead to certain steps being taken until it is certain that the danger has been averted in the long term.
c) A judge must be able to order a gynaecological examination of the girl and her sisters as well as regular follow-up checks - even without the parents' consent.
d) If necessary, the girl must be prohibited from leaving the country.
e) Any judge must be able to temporarily withdraw custody from the parents and remove the girl from the family for a certain period of time.
f) As a last resort, it must also be possible to withdraw custody permanently.

In order for child protection and prohibitions to be applied and investigations to be successful, the authorities must be informed of individual cases - which is often a major obstacle.
Therefore:
a) Every citizen must be obliged to report any suspicion of imminent or actual genital mutilation to the authorities (police, judiciary, social authorities).
b) This includes those professions that come into contact with potential victims of female genital mutilation particularly frequently: Doctors, nurses, midwives, social workers, etc. They play a particularly important role in uncovering these cases, which is why they should be held liable if they fail to fulfil their duty to report.
c) The duty of confidentiality must be lifted for the relevant professions in this case.

FGM is a crime that is directed against women because they are women. Anyone who opposes the practice is put under pressure, threatened and persecuted. Sometimes even in the country they have travelled to. FGM is political persecution. It must be recognised as such. Anyone who manages to flee from this practice has the right to protection. What numerous politicians, women's rights activists and non-governmental organisations have been calling for for years must finally happen: Female genital mutilation must be explicitly recognised as grounds for asylum!

Anyone who could be confronted with FGM in their profession must be fully aware of this practice. This applies not only to doctors, psychologists, nurses, midwives and social workers, but also to representatives of the state authorities: Police officers, judges, public prosecutors.
Only those who know exactly what female genital mutilation is, where and how it is carried out and for what reasons can ask the right questions and judge which statements are true and which are not. For example, a mother who says in court that the child did not cry during the mutilation is lying - a judge who knows nothing about the practice can hardly assess this statement.
FGM must therefore be an integral part of all training and study programmes for professions that could involve the practice. Where this is not possible or sensible, appropriate training courses must close this gap. Regular follow-up training is also necessary. Joint training courses can reduce mutual fears of contact and significantly improve cooperation.

Sufficient state resources must be made available in order to carry out effective prevention work.
This includes:
a) General awareness campaigns through television commercials, adverts and poster campaigns to draw attention to the issue and provide information on the legal situation and options for action.
b) Special awareness campaigns in refugee centres, schools, kindergartens and social work.
c) Targeted information in doctors' surgeries and hospitals.
d) When issuing visas in consulates in the countries of origin: Precise information about the local legal situation on FGM and the attitude of the global community to this problem - especially for newly arriving immigrants, but also for travelling guests, in order to confront as many people as possible with this issue.
e) Regular compulsory school examinations for all (!) girls.
f) Protection and appropriate care for potential victims and their families. This means, for example, providing anonymous accommodation and food for women who flee their families in order to protect their daughters from genital mutilation.

The international community must clearly communicate its position on FGM to the governments of the countries of origin and make it clear that this crime will not be tolerated.
In some African countries, there are government initiatives to ban female genital mutilation by law. These governments must be supported in their endeavours, as must those that have already banned FGM and are now working to implement these laws.

Even though a relatively large amount is now known about female genital mutilation, there is still a huge need for more research. Previous strategies in the fight against female genital mutilation are often still based on loose assumptions or so-called empirical values without ever having been scrutinised. Research into FGM must therefore be supported and intensified by government funding.

The unanswered questions include:

a) exact numbers of victims in individual states - much existing data is based only on rough estimates and inaccurate extrapolations.

b) Factors contributing to the rejection or perpetuation of this practice in the country of immigration - for the first as opposed to the second or third generation of immigrants.

c) Effectiveness of individual strategies (campaigns, educational social work, trials/punishments) in the fight against FGM - they should be systematically evaluated to determine the most effective approach.

d) Medical options for restoring the clitoris. The method of Dr Pierre Foldès offers a promising approach.

Every woman who wants to should be allowed to undergo back surgery free of charge. This applies both to the separation of the suture in the case of complete removal of the labia minora and labia majora (infibulation) and - if desired - to reconstructive surgery. In reconstructive surgery, the clitoris is at least partially restored and sexual sensation returns in 80 per cent of cases. Health insurance companies in all European countries must officially recognise these operations and cover the total costs.