Listening to African Voices - FPZ

2Introduction2.1 BackgroundFemale genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is a harmful traditionalpractice consisting of the removal of part or all of a girlor woman’s external genitalia. FGM/C is common in manysocieties in Africa and to some extent in Asia. Within practicingcommunities, FGM/C is a deeply rooted and acceptedtradition. Adherents consider it an important custom for thesocialisation of girls and young women, preparing them for alife as faithful and honourable daughters, wives and mothers.Non-practitioners, human rights and gender-equity activistscondemn FGM/C as a violation of fundamental human rightssuch as the right to bodily integrity and protection againstviolence.While FGM/C used to be considered an “African phenomenon”,it has become a global issue in the context of migration.Thousands of African migrants arrive in Europe everyyear. In total, there are about five million African immigrantsregistered in EU member states and it is believed that thereare millions of irregular African immigrants living in the EU.Most of them migrate for labour, hoping to make a betterliving than in their country of origin. Among the immigrantsfrom Sub-Saharan Africa and from Egypt, many have rootsin communities and families that practice FGM/C. In thepast decades, several incidents of girls from Sub-SaharanAfrica being subjected to FGM/C in Europe have made theheadlines. In France, over 30 cases of FGM/C were broughtto court and the culprits – parents and practitioners – weregiven prison sentences. Anecdotal evidence of FGM/C beingpracticed among immigrants has appeared in other EUcountriesas well.Nonetheless, the data on perceptions, attitudes and practicesrelating to FGM/C of immigrants with roots in practicingcountries is limited and focuses mainly on populations fromEritrea and Somalia. In the specific case of Germany, thegovernment, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) andcivil society lack effective approaches for tackling the issue.Therefore, Plan Germany in partnership with the HamburgerBehörde für Soziales, Familie, Gesundheit und Verbraucherschutz(BSG) (Department of Social and Family Affairs,Health and Consumer Protection) developed a pilot projectfor one of Germany’s major cities, Hamburg. The aim wasto establish an action plan against FGM/C in collaborationwith members of immigrant populations from practicingcountries.2.1.1 PlanPlan International, one of the oldest child-focused organisationsin the world, supports development programs in48 countries. Plan is an organisation without religious orpolitical affiliation. It finances sustainable and child-focusedself-help projects mainly by means of sponsorship, but alsothrough grants and public funds. Plan Germany supportsmore than 300,000 of the 1.2 million sponsored childrenworld-wide, thus reaching more than two million people inthe program areas of Asia, Africa and Latin America. Theprojects are being planned and carried out in close cooperationwith the children, their families and their communities.The aim is to improve the living conditions of the peoplein a sustainable way. Plan’s child protection work in Africaincludes support to community based and national initiativesto stop FGM/C and any other form of abuse or violenceagainst children.Plan is recognised as a private and independent organisationby the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The GermanCentral Institute for Social Affairs (DZI) has conferred PlanGermany its donation seal, which confirms transparency andefficiency in the field of donations.2.2 Project objectivesThe main purpose of the project was to develop an effectiveand locally adapted approach to promote the abandonmentof FGM/C among immigrant groups in Hamburg.The specific objectives were as follows:• To assess the proportion of immigrants with roots in practicingfamilies in Hamburg;• To explore the attitudes, perceptions and opinions amongimmigrants from Sub-Saharan Africa toward FGM/C,notably the advantages perceived, the position of theirreligion on FGM/C and the proportion of supporters andopponents of the practice;• To provide an estimation of the proportion of girls andwomen concerned from different countries of origin;• To assess the ratio and profile of girls at risk;• To investigate whether families subject their daughter(s) livingin Hamburg to the practice and if yes, how they proceed;• To establish profiles of low- and high-risk communities (bycountry and region);Listening to African Voices 9