Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-09-19-Speech-3-133"
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"en.20010919.9.3-133"2
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"Mr President, the use of genital mutilation is an extreme form of female repression which, in some countries, is as old as time itself. It was the women of those countries themselves, of Egypt and of Somalia, who told us about their extreme suffering. They denounced it and had to overcome a world of prejudice in the process, but they did it for the benefit of their sisters, who were often younger, or their daughters. They are asking us to show the same courage.
A number of women have sent the European Parliament a petition in the same vein. We are supported by women across the world. Respect for the human being must be judged the same for men and women alike: women’s rights are human rights. Allowing this mutilation to take place under medically acceptable conditions does not make the mutilation itself acceptable. Neither is the fact that this cruel custom is one of the oldest traditions in some communities – I am deliberately avoiding the term ‘religions’, for they have little to do with it – reason for us to tolerate it. The sexual mutilation of girls must be considered a punishable offence in every country and every society, as demanded in various international agreements.
A positive development is that, in any event, an increasing number of countries have prohibited genital mutilation in women. But in many cases, they are merely paying lip service to this ban, and we should therefore amend the Cotonou Agreement so that we can implement it in the same way as for human rights violations.
For the rest, I share the view of fellow MEPs."@en1
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