Ms. Els Leye | ICRH

Els Leye has a masters degree in social-cultural sciences and is currently finalising her PhD in Comparative Sciences of Culture. She has a specific expertise in gender-based violence, specifically harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM) and early/forced marriage. In collaboration with other stakeholders, she initiated the foundation of the European Network for the Prevention of FGM in Europe, developed recommendations on the prevention of FGM in Europe for the European Commission, and performed a comparative analysis of the implementation of laws regarding FGM in some EU countries. She currently coordinates an intervention project targeting behaviour change on FGM in Burkina Faso and Sudan, and a training programme for the prevention of FGM in Somalia. She also studied violence against women in developing countries, and more particularly on male involvement and health care strategies for combating gender based violence.