Doc. 9960

7 October 2003

Genital mutilation of the bodies of deceased women

Motion for a recommendation

presented by Mrs Hägg and others

1.       Social, cultural and religious factors can never be used as an excuse for causing suffering for women or injuring them physically or mentally. Genital mutilation is an unacceptable traditional practice which causes great physical and mental suffering for women and girls.

2.       It falls upon governments to abolish genital mutilation – a commitment ensuing from treaties and conventions in the field of Human Rights. Article 5 of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women provides a more specific obligation to abolish practices and customs based on the conception of the inferiority of one of the sexes. Article 24 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child stipulates that states must take appropriate measures with a view to abolishing traditional practices prejudicial to the health of children.

3.       Measures are taken in several countries to protect women and girls from being genitally mutilated. But there is a total silence concerning the fact that even the bodies of deceased women are being genitally mutilated in some countries. This practice concerns women who belong to a certain ethnic group which carries on genital mutilation on women and girls. If a deceased woman has escaped this act of cruelty during her life, her dead body can be subjected to genital mutilation.

4.       International and national measures to combat genital mutilation must aim to protect women during their whole lives. However, action is needed to protect also deceased women’s bodies. Genital mutilation is a threat to a woman’s health, integrity and sometimes life but we must also be aware of the risk of desecration of female bodies.

5.       While combating genital mutilation internationally and nationally even dead women’s bodies must be protected.

Signed (see overleaf)

Signed ¹:

Hägg, Sweden, SOC

Bauer, Slovakia, EPP/CD

Cliveti, Romania, SOC

Čurdová, Czech Republic, SOC

Damanaki, Greece, UEL

Err, Luxembourg, SOC

Foulkes, United Kingdom, SOC

Gülsün, Turkey, SOC

Konglevoll, Norway, SOC

Kósá-Kovács, Hungary, SOC

Labucka, Latvia, EPP/CD

Lintonen, Finland, SOC

Petrova-Mitevska, « the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia », SOC

Scherini, Italy, EPP/CD

Schicker, Austria, SOC

¹        SOC: Socialist Group

      EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party

      EDG: European Democratic Group

      LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group

      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left

      NR: not registered in a group