OII-Europe, together with around 80 civil society organisations, healthcare professionals and academics working to advance women’s rights and the rights of LGBTIQ people, addressed a letter to President von der Leyen to express our deep concern at the long delay in the publication of the European Commission Recommendation on the prevention of harmful practices against women and girls. We urge the current Commission to adopt the Recommendation swiftly or guarantee its adoption by the next Commission before 2025, in line with the clear commitments made under the Gender Equality Strategy and the LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025.

We strongly support the adoption of this Recommendation, which will provide effective guidance for Member States on ways to address various harmful practices, including those committed to in the Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025 and in the LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025.

We call on the European Commission to include intersex genital mutilation (IGM) in the text of the Recommendation. IGM has already been recognised as a harmful practice in the LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025.

Furthermore, we call on the Commission to ensure all forms of obstetric and gynaecological violence, mistreatment and abuse are included in this Recommendation.

We strongly believe this Recommendation would fill a critical gap and make a substantial contribution towards protecting women and girls in all their diversity from all forms of harm in the EU.

Please download the full letter below: