Ten Years of the End FGM European Network: From Reflection to Collective Renewal

In 2024, the End FGM European Network celebrated its tenth anniversary. A decade of strong collective commitment to ending female genital mutilation (FGM) in Europe and beyond. Ten years of building alliances, mobilising for survivor-centred change, launching cross-border campaigns, and connecting grassroots realities to European decision-making. This milestone anniversary was not only a moment of celebration: it was also a time to look back with pride, to measure how far we have come, and to set the foundations for the future.

Over this decade, our Network has grown from 15 founding members to 42 organisations across 16 countries. We have carried out landmark actions, projects and campaigns such as #FGMisPatriarchy, #Road2EndFGM, #BehindEndingFGM, #EndFGM4All, #MyIssueToo, #MyVoiceMatters: Community Voices to end Female Genital Mutilation, amplified survivors’ voices, and played a direct role in shaping European policies. FGM has moved from the margins of political discourse to being recognised as a human rights and gender equality issue at EU and international levels. This shift in visibility is inseparable from the daily work of our members and partners and represents one of the defining collective achievements of this first decade. This reflection goes hand-in-hand with the 10-Year Impact Report, which showcases collective actions and the progress we have made and the path ahead.

Ten Years of Tangible Impact

In a changing political and social environment, End FGM EU has become a European and international reference point in the movement to end female genital mutilation. Over the past ten years, the Network has driven survivor-centred action from grassroots to institutions; trained professionals across Europe to strengthen care, protection and legal pathways for survivors; developed Europe’s first interactive map on FGM laws and policies, shaping EU-wide advocacy and visibility; and reached thousands through emblematic campaigns, challenging stigma and promoting intersectional understanding. It has also influenced major policy advances, including the EU Gender Equality Strategy (2020–2025), the EU Directive on Combating Violence Against Women (2024), and EU accession to the Istanbul Convention, while ensuring that FGM is firmly embedded in human rights frameworks through contributions to 14 major resolutions and strategies, securing FGM’s place within EU and international human rights frameworks.. Alongside this, projects have placed survivors voices at the centre of the movement, ensuring that survivors’ perspectives shape the future of advocacy and action. Shaped global debates through our contributions and international coalitions.

These achievements highlight not only the evolution of our organisation, but also the transformation of the wider political space in the last ten years. Today, FGM its recognised as a form of gender-based violence and a human rights violation, demanding coordinated responses at national, EU, and international levels.

A strong, engaged Network, but some challenges ahead

The evaluation also confirmed the strength of our Network: a shared determination to protect girls and women, to raise awareness, to influence decision-makers, and to provide holistic support to FGM-affected communities

However, after ten years, it has become clear that our structure and governance must be strengthened to address both current and future challenges. The evaluation identified several areas for improvement such as : increasing members' participation to ensure that every voice is heard and that strategic decisions are more widely shared; strengthen our internal governance, in particular the contribution to our mission and to our collective decision-making and enhancing internal communication and resource management.

Strengthening our Network to act more effectively

The evaluation confirmed that we must continue the changes identified and initiated in our Strategic Plan. This plan focuses on four main pillars: advocacy, capacity-building, networking, and good governance.

Strengthening our advocacy efforts requires our organisation to evolve into a more agile and efficient structure. Only then will we be able, on the one hand, to continue amplifying the voices of survivors and affected communities within national and European institutions, and on the other, to respond more swiftly to the growing threats to women’s rights, sexual and reproductive rights, and gender equality. The current rise in conservative and anti-rights discourse across Europe illustrates this need clearly. To meet these challenges, we must reinforce our internal agility and efficiency.

The evaluation also stressed the importance of strengthening our members’ capacities in fields such as law, protection, communications and survivor support. This necessarily entails better structuring of our Secretariat and ensuring a fairer, more strategic allocation of resources.

Another priority is networking. This means facilitating exchanges among our members, actively encouraging cross-border collaborations, and ensuring that organisations of all sizes are able to participate equally. This also means building communication that is more transparent and accessible across all levels of the Network.

At the same time, governance and internal well-being remain central. Our ambition is foster a safe, respectful and supportive working environment where every individual feels valued, heard and supported in their professional development. We are determined to continue strengthening our structure as a feminist Network that not only champions equality and dignity in its external actions but also fully embodies these values in its internal functioning.

Renewed leadership to drive and support this new dynamic

End FGM EU has recently embarked on an exciting new chapter, undertaking a comprehensive reorganisation of its governance structure and management. This included a leadership transition marked by the appointment of Marianne Nguena as Director, following her interim role. This organisational renewal, aligned with the Network’s strategic growth to continue to bring enhanced expertise to our governance bodies, strengthen institutional trust, and equip the Secretariat to effectively implement our forthcoming strategic priorities and action plan.

These changes also reflect our commitment to maintaining End FGM EU’s position as a strong feminist network in the field. We remain steadfast in our foundational values and are fully prepared to address the complex challenges anticipated in the coming decades. We embark on this new phase with renewed determination, building on the insights from our recent strategic evaluation to expand our social impact. We remain firmly convinced that the eradication of female genital mutilation is achievable through sustained collective efforts.

We extend our sincere gratitude to all members, partners, ambassadors, donors, and Secretariat staff whose daily contributions are essential to advancing our mission.

Together, we will continue to work towards a world free from female genital mutilation.