Karamanou (PSE).
– (EL) Mr President, I too should like to congratulate Mrs Valenciano
Martínez-Orozco on her excellent and comprehensive report. It is a fact
that, for millions of women throughout the world, genital mutilation is an
unavoidable, terrifying ordeal which they have to go through if they are to
survive. The absence of any alternative and a complete lack of information are
one of the most serious problems for women who suffer this degrading
mutilation, which is one of the worse forms of suppression, terrorism and
exploitation of women, a criminal practice which violates their personal
freedom, their physical integrity, their freedom of conscience and their right
to health by causing serious physical injury and mental side effects, not to
mention the impact on their sexual identity and ability to bear children.
One hundred and thirty million mutilated
women in the world is a terrifying number. Unfortunately, this horrible
practice has also been introduced into the European Union. According to a
statement by the British Medical Association, three thousand women are
mutilated in the United Kingdom every year and naturally the fundamentalists,
even within the European Union, have no hesitation in applying mediaeval
practices in order to subjugate women and control their sexuality.
Every human being is entitled to
protection under the law when fundamental freedoms and rights are at risk, as
is the case with mutilation. However, European Union law seriously lacks any
teeth, which is why we are calling for legislation to be applied which will
make this horrible practice a crime. And, of course, the European Union can
exert a great deal of influence through the trade agreements under the Cotonou
agreement which it concludes with countries in which such practices are rife
and by introducing extraterritorial legislation. Finally, I should like to call
on the PPE-DE, for us to unite in demonstrating our solidarity with the
thousands of women who have undergone this horrible procedure and for you to
change your decision by tomorrow.