Governments have signed international treaties obliging them to take action against FGM. Laws have been designed to be important tools to hold governments accountable for their obligations and duties under international law. However, members pointed out that although many African states have ratified international and regional human rights treaties addressing violence against women and girls, they do not always transpose them into national law and policy. Fatou Janssen witnesses the limits in the application of Maputo Protocol in Tanzania which has not taken the necessary measures to integrate it into national law.

EUROPE Fiona Coyle, director of the European Network End FGM shared their vision of legislation and prosecutions. “Legislation and prosecutions are important, but not always enough. Ending FGM should not only be about prosecution but also, and most importantly, about prevention and protection.” A few points; 1) Istanbul convention In 2011, the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (also known as the Istanbul Convention) was signed by EU member states and has since been ratified by the majority. This is the first legally binding

LFGM is internationally recognized as a practice that violates human rights laws. A number of international conventions and declarations form the legal framework for the protection and promotion of women and girls’ human rights and are relevant to FGM: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

Maryam Sheikh shared her personal experience to highlight the dilemma faced by parents who want to both protect their daughters from FGC and to ensure their belonging and integration into the community. In addition, the girls themselves may ask to undergo FGM in order to be like other girls in their community.

The very existence of the law produces effects that go beyond the mere application of sanctions and the prosecution of those practising FGM. It serves as a deterrent and therefore protects girls at risk of undergoing FGM both from the practice itself and - in some cases - from the stigma associated with not being excised.

Criticisms of legal measures to combat FGM vary depending on the context in the country of implementation and the prevalence rate. Despite criminalization in many African countries, the prevalence of FGM remains high. Legal measures have not yet led to a sufficient decline in the practice in many countries. This is in part because FGM is a deeply rooted, culturally entrenched practice and therefore change is slow. However, critics also argue that laws are not always implemented, that they are not always adequate and that there are several problems with implementation. 28 Too Many estimate that only 2 of the 22 countries with anti-FGM legislation meet all the criteria they consider necessary to ensure satisfactory prevention and protection. (1, 2)