EUR 80,000 granted to prevent female genital mutilation

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has granted a separate appropriation of EUR 80,000 to support the preparation and implementation of a new action programme to prevent female genital mutilation.

The previous action programme covered the years 2012–2016, said a government press release.

Compilation of an action programme against mutilation is included in the plan for the implementation of the so-called Istanbul Convention for 2018-2021.

Istanbul Convention is the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. The Convention entered into force in Finland in 2015. The Convention obliges Finland to act against genital mutilation.

“Intervention in female genital mutilation is not effective enough in Finland. It is therefore necessary to continue the systematic work to prevent it,” said Annika Saarikko, the Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services.

The action programme will continue until the end of 2020. After that, the action programme will be included in the National Action Plan on Sexual and Reproductive Health. Education will also be developed to help professionals bring female genital mutilation into discussion and to make them aware of their duty of notification.

Female genital mutilation is most common in Africa, Middle East and Asia. It has been estimated that more than 200 million girls and women alive in the world have undergone female genital mutilation.