(NL Times) Dutch lawmakers are calling for a tougher crackdown on female genital mutilation (FGM), proposing a new law that would make it a criminal offense to promote or glorify the practice. The move comes as fresh data reveals that over 4,200 girls in the Netherlands are at risk of undergoing FGM in the coming years, according to RTL.
Although FGM is already illegal in the Netherlands, the VVD and SP political parties say the law falls short. Calls to perform the procedure — often delivered through sermons, social media posts, or educational materials — frequently go unpunished due to protections for freedom of speech and religion. The proposed legislation aims to close that gap by targeting the incitement and normalization of the practice.
