Sanatarkat istuntoselostukset

Torstai 6. helmikuuta 2014 - Strasbourg

3. Nollatoleranssi naisten sukuelinten silpomiseen (keskustelu)

  La Présidente. - L'ordre du jour appelle le débat sur la question orale à la Commission sur l'éradication des mutilations génitales féminines de Mikael Gustafsson, au nom de la commission des droits de la femme et de l'égalité des genres (O-000029/2014 – B7-0106/2014) (2014/2511(RSP)).

  Inês Cristina Zuber, Autora. - A violência contra as mulheres e as raparigas é um fenómeno estrutural generalizado. Quase todas as mulheres na União Europeia sofreram algum tipo de violência durante a vida: uma em cada cinco foi vítima de violência doméstica e uma em cada dez poderá ser violada ou forçada a atos sexuais. A mutilação genital feminina é uma das formas mais graves de violência contra as mulheres e raparigas; é também uma forma de abuso infantil e, principalmente, uma grave violência contra meninas e raparigas que origina problemas de saúde a curto e a longo prazo.

O Parlamento Europeu e especialmente a Comissão para os Direitos da Mulher e Igualdade de Género requereram à Comissão Europeia que iniciasse ações concretas a nível europeu para acabar com a violência dos homens contra as mulheres e meninas.

A ausência de uma estratégia global contra a violência contra as mulheres, incluindo a mutilação genital feminina, não contribui para um combate estruturado a estes crimes.

A Comissão FEMM, na proposta de texto para resolução do Parlamento Europeu, considerou que uma diretiva abrangente a nível da União Europeia seria um passo importante. Não é justo que as questões dos direitos das mulheres sejam sempre remetidas para segundo plano e não recebam a atenção e prioridade que merecem.

Recomendamos a assinatura e a ratificação da Convenção do Conselho da Europa, Convenção de Istambul, sobre a prevenção e o combate à violência contra as mulheres e a violência doméstica, que inclui normas mínimas relativas aos direitos, apoio e proteção de todas as mulheres e meninas. É um passo que cada Estado-Membro e a União Europeia podem dar no sentido de proteger as mulheres e meninas contra a mutilação genital feminina e outras formas de violência.

Há também uma série de instrumentos internacionais que sublinham a importância de acabar com a violência contra as mulheres e a mutilação genital feminina: a Declaração Universal dos Direitos do Homem, a Convenção sobre a Eliminação de todas as Formas de Discriminação contra as Mulheres e a Convenção sobre os Direitos da Criança, instrumentos estes que são fundamentais implementar.

A mutilação genital feminina afeta entre 100 a 140 milhões de mulheres e raparigas em todo o mudo. Anualmente, 3 milhões de raparigas correm o risco de ser vítimas deste tipo de violência. No momento em que as novas Metas do Milénio, a partir de 2015, estão a ser discutidas, é extremamente importante que os direitos das mulheres e a igualdade de género estejam no cerne destas novas metas.

Da mesma forma, os direitos das mulheres e o combate à violência contra as mulheres e raparigas devem ser considerados como objetivos fundamentais e prioritários. É importante definir objetivos concretos e medidas concretas com compromissos políticos concretos para a erradicação da mutilação genital feminina, a redução da mortalidade infantil, a melhoria da saúde materna, com uma forte ênfase na promoção e valorização dos direitos sexuais e reprodutivos das mulheres em todo o mundo. Como sabemos, a mutilação genital feminina tem um impacto horrível sobre a saúde reprodutiva e a saúde sexual das mulheres.

Acabar com todas as formas de violência contra as mulheres e raparigas, incluindo a mutilação genital feminina, deve ser uma prioridade, especialmente nos tempos de crise que vivemos. Todos nós sabemos que as medidas de austeridade e os cortes nos apoios sociais e serviços públicos têm consequências graves na igualdade entre homens e mulheres, empurrando as mulheres de volta para casa para cuidar de crianças e idosos, empurrando-as para condições de trabalho precárias mas também empurrando-as para o aumento da violência contra elas.

É importante utilizarmos hoje uma terminologia não discriminatória e não estigmatizante que leve e possa levar ao isolamento ainda maior das mulheres vítimas ou potenciais vítimas da mutilação genital feminina. É fundamental criminalizar e punir os criminosos, mas também prevenir, levar ações de sensibilização e consciencialização às comunidades onde se perpetram estes crimes, educar novas gerações para os direitos das mulheres. O poder político tem aí o poder da iniciativa.

É fundamental que existam estratégias coordenadas para acabar com todas as formas de violência contra as mulheres, com base nos direitos humanos e no princípio da igualdade. Os números deste crime macabro não podem continuar a aumentar se caminhamos e se queremos caminhar no sentido do progresso social.

  Štefan Füle, Member of the Commission. - Madam President, today is International Day against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). It is an opportunity to remind the world that the European Union condemns this abhorrent crime. It is our legal and human obligation to protect women and girls, both within and outside the European Union, from the risks of mutilation. I welcome this initiative by the European Parliament to hold a debate on the subject.

Female genital mutilation is a brutal manifestation of gender inequality and a violation of human rights. On several occasions, this Parliament has called on the Commission to act ambitiously. The Commission and the European Union as a whole are committed to a strengthened policy response to combat all forms of violence against women within the Union territory and in our external relations. This is demonstrated in the Commission’s action plan implementing the Stockholm Programme, the Women’s Charter and the Commission’s strategy for equality between women and men. The Commission is working to improve knowledge and data collection and to prevent violence. This is being achieved through awareness raising and exchanges of good practice and by providing funding to governments, NGOs and networks active in this field. The Commission’s most recent sign of commitment was the adoption on 25 November 2013 of its communication on eliminating female genital mutilation.

FGM is also a form of child abuse. It is estimated that currently 500 000 women and girls in the European Union alone may have suffered from this harmful practice.

This Parliament calls for a specific strategy and an action plan on violence against women. I would like to emphasise that all the Commission initiatives and measures are mutually complementary and that they already constitute a solid and comprehensive framework for concrete action, bringing tangible results and making full use of EU competences to support the Member States in eliminating all forms of violence against women.

FGM is a very specific form of violence: it reflects a deep-rooted social norm; it is often practised in the belief that it is beneficial for the girl; and it is an intimate issue and still, in many case, a taboo subject. It is crucial to take into account its complexities. That is why the Commission adopted its action plan on FGM, following Parliament’s resolution in 2012.

Let me now address the question of European Union legislative action. We have made significant progress in adopting concrete legislative proposals in the field of criminal and civil justice to support women against violence. This includes: the Directive on Trafficking in Human Beings; the Directive against Sexual Abuse and Sexual Exploitation of Children and Child Pornography; the Directive on the European Protection Order applicable in criminal matters, complemented by a regulation applicable in civil matters; and the Directive on the Rights of Crime Victims. This legislation emphasises the need for specific and appropriate protection for victims of gender-based violence.

We have a comprehensive legal framework at European level to protect women against all forms of violence. This framework needs to be effectively implemented by Member States at national level. The Commission is assisting them in this respect and will monitor effective implementation. In addition, as I mentioned earlier, there is a series of non-legislative measures: awareness-raising, exchanges of good practice and funding. Those measures already contribute to supporting Member States in preventing the violence.

As regards external relations policy, I reiterate that human rights, democracy and the rule of law are inherent in our analysis when it comes to assessing whether – and what type of – budget support is appropriate in a given country. Women’s and girls’ rights are, of course, part of this. The European Union is also taking its first steps towards developing and applying a human-rights-based approach in development cooperation. Civil society organisations are recognised as fully-fledged actors and partners for development.

When it comes to FGM in particular, the European Union has, for many years, been participating actively in international cooperation initiatives to promote the elimination of FGM. The Union systematically raises the issue of FGM in its dialogues with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries and underlines the need for African states to ensure that the practice is effectively prohibited. The European Union supports capacity-building for government officials and advocacy and awareness-raising for all sectors of society, and it is preparing a regional campaign on FGM, which will be carried out by its delegations in third countries in 2014.

The European Union also funds projects. From 2006 to 2012, 17 projects addressing FGM in 18 countries benefited from EU funding of approximately EUR 8 million. For example, an innovative EU and UNICEF project has contributed to changing attitudes towards FGM in Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Senegal and Sudan. Additionally, through the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR), the EU has supported several important projects run by human rights NGOs in this area.

  Mariya Gabriel, au nom du groupe PPE. – Madame la Présidente, Monsieur le Commissaire, chers collègues, tout d'abord, je me réjouis que nous votions, aujourd'hui, sur cette résolution et sur la question orale sur l'éradication des mutilations génitales féminines.

Au sein de la commission des droits de la femme et de l'égalité des genres, nous avons adopté la résolution à l'unanimité et j'espère qu'en plénière le Parlement européen saisira cette occasion pour envoyer un signal clair de son engagement pour mettre fin à cette cruelle violation des droits de l'homme.

Ainsi, nous serons en cohérence avec l'engagement de la Commission et notamment celui de Mme Reding, qui avait déjà lancé la campagne sur la tolérance zéro, qui a permis d'ouvrir le débat et de sensibiliser au fléau des mutilations génitales féminines.

J'aimerais insister sur quelques points, qui me semblent importants lorsque l'on vise à éradiquer les mutilations génitales féminines.

Premièrement, les mutilations génitales féminines constituent une atteinte indiscutable à l'intégrité physique et psychologique des femmes, au droit des femmes et, en définitive, cela perpétue les inégalités entre les hommes et les femmes. Or, je voudrais le dire clairement, il n'y a pas d'excuse culturelle, traditionnelle ou religieuse valable pour ne pas respecter les droits de l'homme.

Deuxièmement, rappelons que les mutilations génitales féminines se produisent aussi bien en Europe que dans nos pays partenaires et qu'il est toujours malvenu de pointer du doigt arbitrairement et globalement le continent africain, qui révèle des réalités très différentes selon les pays.

Il est important que l'Union européenne se dote d'une stratégie globale et intégrée qui permette d'avoir une cohérence entre notre politique interne et notre politique externe et de ne pas se contenter de donner des leçons sur les mutilations génitales féminines.

S'agissant des campagnes de sensibilisation et de prévention, mots-clés, elles sont demandées dans le cadre de la stratégie européenne pour la lutte contre les mutilations génitales. J'insiste, il faut penser à inclure les hommes et les petits garçons pour qu'ils participent à l'abandon définitif de ces pratiques. Sans eux, l'éradication ne se fera pas. Le dialogue à l'intérieur d'une communauté est extrêmement crucial pour parvenir à nos fins.

Enfin, il me semble qu'il ne faut pas tomber dans le piège de l'excision médicalisée, qui serait plus acceptable. On l'entend ici ou là. Il s'agit toujours d'une mutilation génitale même si elle est réalisée dans un environnement stérile par un médecin.

Chers collègues, Monsieur le Commissaire, je voudrais, en cette journée internationale de tolérance zéro contre les mutilations génitales féminines, saisir l'occasion pour encourager toute la communauté internationale, pas seulement européenne, à redoubler d'efforts pour mettre fin à ce fléau et remercier tous ces hommes et toutes ces femmes courageuses qui y contribuent chaque jour.

  Edite Estrela, em nome do Grupo S&D. – Já aqui foi dito: cerca de 140 milhões de mulheres já foram submetidas à Mutilação Genital Feminina. Todos os anos, 3 milhões de meninas e adolescentes são mutiladas. Uma a cada 6 minutos. Dantes, a mutilação era feita por volta dos 8/9 anos. Agora, as vítimas têm apenas 2 e 3 anos.

Esta é a triste realidade em países terceiros, em muitos países, mas também se observa em determinadas comunidades residentes em alguns países da União Europeia. No Mali, por exemplo, 98% das mulheres e meninas são mutiladas, num ritual em que participa a família da vítima, inclusive os próprios pais. A pressão para sujeitar as meninas à MGF vem das famílias e das comunidades, tanto nos países de origem como na Europa. É necessário coordenar esforços para pôr termo a este flagelo.

A MGF representa uma grave violação dos direitos humanos. Os Estados-Membros não podem ser condescendentes com práticas criminosas que, em nome de uma pretensa tradição, põem em causa a integridade e a saúde física e psicológica das mulheres.

As mulheres e as adolescentes sujeitas à MGF sofrem consequências gravíssimas: morte por hemorragia ou infeção, transmissão de doenças como a sida, a hepatite e o tétano, incontinência, disfunções sexuais e graves complicações durante a gravidez e o parto são algumas delas. E há os efeitos devastadores a nível psicológico, semelhantes aos efeitos da violação. Os Estados devem, por isso, promover serviços de apoio social e psicológico e tomar medidas para melhorar as condições de saúde, incluindo a saúde sexual e reprodutiva, de forma a auxiliar as meninas que são sujeitas a este tipo de violência.

Há muito a fazer: nós temos obrigação de fazer mais por estas jovens, por estas adolescentes.

  Angelika Werthmann, im Namen der ALDE-Fraktion. – Frau Präsidentin! 2004 wurde der heutige International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation ins Leben gerufen. Vieles hat sich seither getan, jedoch noch immer viel zu wenig! Weltweit sind von dieser brutalen Verstümmelungspraktik mehr als 140 Millionen Frauen und Mädchen betroffen. Es gibt viele Plattformen – wie z. B. in meiner Heimat Österreich stopFGM.net –, die alles tun, um aufzuklären, zu unterstützen und letztendlich dieses menschenrechtsverletzende und in vielen Fällen tödliche Ritual zu stoppen.

Viele Länder tun sehr viel und sehr viele Menschen kümmern sich um dieses Thema mit sehr großem Engagement. Solange es diese Verstümmelungspraktik noch immer gibt, ist dies meiner Meinung nach alles viel zu wenig. Ich denke, dass wir hier mit einer einheitlichen Strategie in der Tat – zumindest in der Europäischen Union – noch wesentlich erfolgreicher sein können, hoffentlich dieses Ritual auch stoppen können, und dass wir hier mit einer Stimme auch gegenüber den Drittstaaten vehement auftreten müssen. Hier darf es null Akzeptanz geben! Hier darf es meiner Meinung nach aber auch nicht sein, dass mit europäischen Geldern Drittstaaten unterstützt werden, in denen diese Praktik noch immer Gesellschaftsstatus hat.

Abschließend stelle ich uns die Frage: In welcher Welt leben wir, wenn es akzeptiert wird, Mädchen und Frauen Gewalt anzutun? Ich möchte noch anmerken: Der Rat fehlt bei diesem durchaus wichtigen Thema!

  Raül Romeva i Rueda, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Madam President, in December 2012 the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on intensifying efforts to end female genital mutilation (FGM). The resolution calls for the development of a comprehensive strategy aimed at eliminating the practice.

In Europe, the European Parliament estimates that half a million women – the equivalent of the population of Malta – live with the consequences of the practice and another 180 000 are at risk every year. These estimates show how important it is for the EU to play its part in ending the practice. In that respect the Commission action plan represents a key element of the European response to the calls and commitments made in the UN resolution.

The role of the European Parliament will be to monitor progress on the implementation of the action plan to eliminate FGM. The action plan promotes a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach. It reflects international human rights standards and insists on the need to focus on prevention.

Prevention of FGM means working for, and with, affected communities and in particular with young people. It means working on gender stereotypes and seeking to identify and overcome barriers to ending FGM within each community. Prevention also means training professionals who are likely to be in contact with affected women and girls. But prevention does not mean prosecution. We need to move away from the criminalisation approach. There is to date no evidence and no research to prove the deterrent effect of prosecution on the perpetuation of the practice. Yes, there is a need for legislation on FGM. There is a need for child protection measures and laws which acknowledge that FGM is an act that affects society as a whole. However, there is also a need to analyse the impact of prosecution on the female child. Judicial procedures, prison sentences, large fines or long separations from the parental family may have a serious impact on the child’s well-being. It is crucial not to confuse prevention and prosecution and not to confuse understanding and fear.

If we aim for long-term prevention, we first need to work on changing the belief systems and social norms of those affected by FGM. Working towards ending FGM is therefore a long-term goal which requires long-term vision. Communities need to be involved in the development of such a vision and we need data, in particular on prevalence, in order to monitor and evaluate the impact of existing measures and develop relevant policy responses.

As MEPs, we should commit to supporting those who are already working to end the practice, and I am very glad to see that the resolution we have adopted today will support the work of FGM campaigners in Europe. Those of us standing again in the forthcoming election campaign are seeking to be in the House over the next five years. Already, however, we can show determination and continue fighting to prevent FGM by signing the pledge that the END FGM European Campaign has put at our disposal.

  Marina Yannakoudakis, on behalf of the ECR Group. – Mr President, female genital mutilation is a horrific and violent act committed against young girls, against children. You will hear today that approximately 500 000 girls as young as three are at risk in Europe. In the United Kingdom we estimate as many as 65 000 girls are at risk, most of whom live in my constituency of London.

In the UK, FGM was criminalised in 1985, yet in the past 29 years there has not been one single prosecution. We in the United Kingdom have started the fight to stop this barbaric practice. The leading London paper, the London Evening Standard, is in the forefront of this fight. By highlighting and informing the public of this practice, we can put a stop to it.

I look to other MEPs to join me in the fight against this form of violence, of child abuse, not only today – the International Day of Zero Tolerance to FGM – but every day.

This week we put forward a resolution as a first step to stop FGM in the EU. In the next week, I will be holding a public hearing on the prevalence of FGM in Europe. We will share information and data in a move towards eliminating this practice in all Member States. Next month, I am holding a public hearing in my constituency of London bringing together experts in this field. You are all welcome to join me at either or both events. We need to work in our Member States to put forward a policy of zero tolerance.

We need to support NGOs who are working around the world to educate and approach communities, to inform them that this is not an acceptable practice. It is child abuse, and has no place in our society. The resolution this week is a call for action. Today I ask you to join me in this action.

  Martina Anderson, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group. – Madam President, today – 6 February – marks the tenth International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation. It is estimated that well over 3 000 women in Ireland have been victims of FGM, despite the fact that the law prohibits it, and that thousands of girls and women across Europe are at risk of undergoing the procedure, either illegally in Europe or by being brought back to their parents’ country of origin. This is, without doubt, a barbaric and archaic practice which needs to stop.

Many people who are forced to undergo this procedure bleed to death or die of infections after being cut with dirty utensils. It involves removing and damaging healthy and normal female genital tissues, and hence interferes with the natural functions of girls’ and women’s bodies. The practice causes severe pain, and has several immediate and long-term health consequences, including difficulties in child birth. It can also cause damage to the child. Those who survive the procedure have severe and lasting effects from infection.

I praise those, such as the National Network of Migrant Women Living in Ireland, for the work that they have done in this area, but I regret that the practice still takes place at all. Obviously, the fact that we are still here discussing this means that not enough has been done. In my own constituency in the North of Ireland, teachers are being warned to watch out for girls taking prolonged absences from school to visit their – or their families’ – countries of origin for fear that they are at risk of being mutilated.

Ireland has done well to make this practice illegal under Irish law, but there is still a lot of work to be done with regards to awareness of this issue. FGM is recognised internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. It reflects a deep-rooted inequality between the sexes and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women. It is nearly always carried out on minors and is a violation of the rights of children.

Successive presidencies of the European Council have failed to make this a priority, but it is a European problem. I am glad that the UN General Assembly in December 2012 adopted a resolution on the elimination of female genital mutilation. Whilst I welcome the fact that it has been discussed here today, and that the European Parliament has already passed a resolution, we need to do much, much more.

  Claudio Morganti, a nome del gruppo EFD. – Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, i dati di cui disponiamo in merito a questa terribile pratica sono impressionanti, e a far riflettere è anche la casistica europea, secondo cui nel nostro continente vi sono ben 500 mila donne colpite da questo fenomeno. È vero che sono un numero limitato, se paragonato ai 125 milioni considerati globalmente nel mondo, ma questo non deve assolutamente sminuire la gravità dei fatti, soprattutto qui da noi. Questa barbara usanza proviene infatti da culture e tradizioni ben lontane dalla nostra, ed è incredibile come ancora oggi, nel ventunesimo secolo, si debba parlare di questa realtà.

In Italia, secondo le stime dell'Istituto europeo per l'uguaglianza di genere, le donne vittime di mutilazioni genitali sono all'incirca 35 000, mentre le ragazze a rischio sono un migliaio: bisogna assolutamente intervenire per bloccare immediatamente questo fenomeno, prima che si espanda anche da noi. Innanzitutto devono essere colpiti con pene severe coloro che commettono questo reato, perché non è ammissibile che qualcuno voglia portare in Italia e in Europa questa barbarie. Si tratta di una pratica senza senso, violenta e pericolosa, contro natura la definirei, prodotto di una sottocultura arretrata, con pesanti implicazioni religiose.

L'Europa oggi, in occasione di questa giornata internazionale, dovrebbe avere il coraggio di dire come stanno realmente le cose, da dove viene questa pratica, da quali paesi, e quali sono le religioni che la tollerano, a partire dall'Islam. Non nascondiamoci dietro a un dito, non è certo con una strategia europea globale contro la violenza di genere che possiamo combattere questo fenomeno, che rimane limitato a un determinato ambiente culturale.

Quando l'Europa si vergogna di difendere le proprie origini cristiane, dovrebbe ricordarsi di questo e di altri episodi, per farci capire che noi siamo differenti dagli altri, e lo dico in maniera orgogliosa, perché io mi sento profondamente diverso da coloro che arrivano a usare perfino schegge di vetro o di legno, o pietre appuntite, per compiere questo orrore che può anche portare alla morte di queste povere bambine, dopo atroci e interminabili sofferenze.

  Teresa Jiménez-Becerril Barrio (PPE). - Señora Presidenta, no voy a repetir aquí la definición que de «mutilación genital femenina» hace la Organización Mundial de la Salud, pero recomiendo que quienes no consideren urgente poner freno a este sufrimiento físico y psicológico para la mujer, se informen sobre lo que es exactamente. Es la resección parcial o total del clítoris.

¿No creen, Señorías, que es necesario que actuemos con diligencia? 140 millones de niñas y mujeres han sufrido esta forma de violencia en el todo el mundo, que apunta a las niñas desde su infancia a la adolescencia. Esta práctica brutal no se registra solo en terceros países, sino que afecta a niñas que residen en la Unión Europea, llegando a la alarmante cifra, como han dicho sus Señorías, de 500 000 que ya la han sufrido y muchísimas más que están en riesgo de sufrirla.

Sabemos que la mutilación genital femenina se realiza en condiciones antihigiénicas, lo que conlleva en muchos casos consecuencias irreparables para la salud de la niña. La protección de los derechos del niño ya consagrada en leyes en nuestros Estados miembros y a nivel internacional nos obliga a no admitir esta práctica, que no se justifica bajo ninguna tradición cultural.

En este Parlamento se han aprobado varias Resoluciones orientadas a combatir la mutilación genital femenina. En el marco de la Directiva sobre los derechos, el apoyo y la protección de las víctimas de delitos, de la que fui ponente, pedí que este delito fuera sancionable en los 28 Estados miembros. Mi país, España, tiene una legislación penal específica, pero no existe uniformidad en este sentido en la Unión Europea. Necesitamos un enfoque común, con datos compartidos. El Servicio Europeo de Acción Exterior tiene que adoptar una posición firme respecto a terceros países que no condenan esta forma de violencia contra la mujer.

Creo que son muchas las víctimas que no tienen voz y tenemos la obligación de prestarles la nuestra para erradicar esta forma de violencia que va contra los derechos humanos en pleno siglo XXI.

  Joanna Senyszyn (S&D). - Pani Przewodnicząca! Okaleczanie żeńskich narządów płciowych to bezsens, forma przemocy, dyskryminacji, znęcania się nad dzieckiem, brutalnego naruszenia integralności i osobowości kobiet i dziewcząt oraz ciężkie łamanie praw człowieka, które dotyczy 500 tysięcy kobiet w samej Unii i ponad 125 milionów na całym świecie. Najprawdopodobniej dane te są zaniżone. W Unii statystyki dotyczące liczby okaleczanych kobiet oraz dziewcząt znajdujących się w grupie ryzyka są dostępne jedynie w niektórych krajach członkowskich.

Komunikat Komisji zawiera wiele znakomitych i niezbędnych działań na rzecz zwalczania okaleczania narządów płciowych kobiet w Unii Europejskiej i poza nią. Działania te, aby przyniosły wymierne rezultaty, muszą stanowić część globalnej kompleksowej strategii. Konieczne jest prawo, które skutecznie będzie chronić dziewczynki przed zbrodniczym okaleczaniem ich narządów płciowych. Potrzebna jest współpraca wewnątrzunijna, z ONZ, z organizacjami pozarządowymi i społecznościami dotkniętymi tym problemem.

Parlament wielokrotnie apelował do Komisji o przedłożenie aktu prawnego w sprawie środków na rzecz promowania i wspierania działań państw członkowskich w obszarze zapobiegania i zwalczania przemocy wobec kobiet, w tym okaleczania żeńskich narządów płciowych.

Kolejna kwestia to skuteczność działań Unii prowadzonych poza Europą w odniesieniu do procederu okaleczania kobiet. Konieczne jest stosowanie jednolitej restrykcyjnej polityki wobec państw, które otrzymują pomoc unijną, a nie prowadzą działań w celu eliminacji tego zbrodniczego procederu. Parlament apelował do Komisji o włączenie klauzuli o eliminacji okaleczeń żeńskich narządów płciowych do negocjacji i porozumień o współpracy z odnośnymi krajami. Co w tej sprawie zostało zrobione? Mamy obowiązek zapewnić ochronę ofiarom tego typu okaleczeń. Nieodłącznym elementem strategii prewencyjnych musi być pomoc psychologiczna i medyczna.

  Cecilia Wikström (ALDE). - Fru talman! Många tror att tortyren av kvinnor som sker genom könsstympning är någonting som sker långt borta från våra europeiska medlemsstater, men så är inte fallet. En halv miljon kvinnor i EU och 125 miljoner kvinnor globalt i världen utsätts för detta. Att utsättas för könsstympning är en kränkning av de grundläggande mänskliga rättigheterna, en anomali i vår tid och ett barbariskt beteende som för längesedan borde ha utrotats.

Kvinnor och deras rätt till hälsa har visat sig vara ett känsligt ämne här i Europaparlamentet. Jag tänker nu på det omdiskuterade Estrella-betänkandet och Lunacek-betänkandet, som vi röstade om härom dagen, när vi har blivit spammade och det har rört upp känslor här i huset. Det är väldigt förvånande att kravet på kvinnors rätt till sin egen kropp är så provokativt, så skrämmande och så hotfullt att det rör upp sådana känslor.

Vi måste emellertid konstatera att kvinnlig könsstympning är en grym tortyr. Det påverkar offren fysiskt och psykiskt under lång tid, kanske hela livet. Vi kritiserar ofta andra länder som inte gör tillräckligt för att bekämpa detta fasansfulla, men vi måste också vara självkritiska. Att en halv miljon kvinnor i våra medlemsländer utsätts för detta är inget annat än ett misslyckande som vi måste ta tag i. Vi får inte blunda för det som sker framför våra ögon.

Jag skulle välkomna en handlingsplan från kommissionen om våld mot kvinnor som tar upp problemet med kvinnlig könsstympning. Vi måste skydda offren men samtidigt arbeta förebyggande.

  Emma McClarkin (ECR). - Madam President, two years ago I spoke in this very Chamber about the case of Waris Dirie, who is now a UN Ambassador for the abolition of female genital mutilation. As a young woman, I read her book ‘Desert Flower’ and her case was the first time that I had heard about FGM. As I have said before, it moved me to tears. The physical and mental impact of this devastating practice and the harrowing experience of a young woman, echoed by millions across the globe, left a lasting impression on me.

As today is the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation, I feel it is more important than ever to call on the Commission to set out its recommendations on how Member States can tackle this illegal practice, which affects more than half a million women here in the EU. We must make sure that the public realise that this practice constitutes a gross form of violence against women and violence against the child. But we must also ensure that the Member States themselves understand better the prevalence of this in their own society, as well as tackling the problem through effective prosecution and punishment. The Commission must also consider how it can help to eliminate the practice in third countries.

The fact that 125 million women around the world are affected by this brutal practice, which leaves them with serious health and life-threatening problems, is an astonishing figure that commands our attention. The practice of FGM must be condemned worldwide and I fully support calls for the Commission and the External Action Service to take a firm stance on those countries which do not. We must lift this taboo, we must face up to the scale of the problem and we must reach out to find a way to bring an end to this barbaric practice the world over.

  Paul Murphy (GUE/NGL). - Madam President, I shall start by saying that I do not find it surprising – but I do find it quite disgusting – that you have MEPs of the far right, like MEP Morganti, trying to use this barbaric practice, this pain of so many women, as an argument to back up a racist, Islamaphobic line of argument. We should remind ourselves that African cultures, cultures that have Islam as a prominent religion, are not alone in barbaric practices against women. Let us look at the violence against women within the EU, within white Christian EU communities. Let us look at the domestic violence which affects one in five women, let us look at rape which affects one in 10 women. This is not about imposing some great European values on other countries or other cultures, it is a struggle for human rights, for women’s rights, for children’s rights, which involves people in African cultures struggling for those rights and with their allies all around the world.

Alice Walker wrote a very powerful novel about the experience of a woman living with FGM called Possessing the Secrets of Joy. She said it was about the ways in which women are rather routinely mutilated in most parts of the world and how people tend to think of the pain done to women as somehow less than the pain done to men. That gets to the point about what FGM is about. It is not some isolated barbaric practice, it is about the oppression of women. It is a manifestation and an instrument of oppression against women and it is a way of denying women as sexual beings, of denying sexual pleasure to women. The EU has a responsibility here. Every year, an estimated 20 000 women flee these practices and seek asylum in the EU. About 9 000 of them flee having been cut themselves. The rest flee in order to protect their children.

Reports from victims illustrate that they are often met with disbelief, with scepticism, with a lack of knowledge about this practice. Activists have also raised the fact that some Member States have deported women back to countries where they are at risk of FGM. This is another dark stain on Europe’s immigration policies, and we have plenty of them at the moment. Member States have an obligation to protect women and girls trying to escape FGM.

In many countries where FGM persists the practice is illegal. It goes to show that more than laws are needed: investment in publicly owned, free healthcare systems that guarantee full sexual and reproductive rights to women, that lower the dependence on traditional circumcisers, who often also play a role as midwives or nurses in the community; ending the economic dependency of women through establishing a living wage; full employment; closing the wage gap and a full programme of education.

(Le débat est suspendu)