Paper short abstract:

Over the last decade concerns about FGM in Europe have been raised but no reliable data are available and surprisingly little is known about men's views on FGM. Based on research undertaken on African men’s views on FGM in Belgium, Holland and the UK, we reflect upon existing presumptions about the practice.

Paper long abstract:

According to the UNICEF 2016 more than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone some form of (FGM) in 30 countries. Over the last decade concerns about the occurrence of the practice in Europe have been raised. However, no reliable data on the prevalence of FGM at European level are available, as under-reporting and incomplete data are an issue. The the EU is increasingly supporting NGO activities that aim to eliminate the practice in Europe. Since FGM has been brought up as an important health issue by the WHO, it has often been taken for granted that men's domination and control of women has an important role to play in the perpetuation of the practice. The UNICEF report 2013, however showed that in 16 African countries the percentage of men who want to stop FGM is higher than the rate of women who want to stop. In Europe surprisingly little is known and published on men from practicing communities views on FGM. This paper presents the results of qualitative research undertaken on men's views on FGM in Belgium, Holland and the UK. We reflect upon this data in the light of existing presumptions about the practice and highlight the importance of working with African men living in Europe too, not just women. Funded by the Daphne programme (EU), the research is coordinated by the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp and carried out at national level by GAMS Belgique, HIMILO Foundation (Netherlands) and Forward (UK).