Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a violation of the human rights of women and girls and remains a threat to girls and women around the globe, including in Europe. UN International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (6 February) is an important day to take stock of the tools available to address FGM.
The Council of Europe Istanbul Convention offers legally binding standards for governments to guarantee a zero tolerance approach to FGM. The guide The Istanbul Convention as a Tool to end FGM, produced jointly by the Council of Europe and Amnesty International provides useful examples how this can be done on the basis of the Istanbul Convention.
