There is an emerging consensus in Northern European nations regarding a child’s right to bodily integrity.

Approaches to the cutting of male, female and intersex children are provoking debate. A strengthening commitment to children’s rights and a greater understanding of the harms occasioned by some traditional practices, parental choices, and medical interventions is increasingly reflected in law and policy. This has contributed to a developing sense of American exceptionalism in this regard. As the UK leaves the European Union, this conference explores shared European values that respect all children’s rights to bodily integrity and self-determination.

This conference will see speakers from law, philosophy, health, psychology, and other disciplines explore European developments, what we might learn from neighbouring jurisdictions, and the different directions the future might hold.

Provisional Programme

Friday 26th April

9.30 Registration & refreshments

9.50 Welcome

10.00 – 12.00 Male genital cutting & understanding rights





‘Embodied Integrity: Reconsidering the Legal Regulation of the Genital Cutting of Children’

Marie Fox, School of Law & Social Justice, University of Liverpool, UK

‘Male Genital Cutting & the Question of Harm’

Michael Thomson & Joshua Warburton, School of Law, University of Leeds

‘Two approaches to male and female genital cutting’

Kai Möller, London School of Economics





12.00 – 1.00 Lunch

1.00 – 3.00 Intersex citizenship & rights





‘Intersex Citizenship: Mapping the territory’

Daniela Crocetti, University of Huddersfield with co-authors, Surya Monro and Tray Yeadon-Lee



‘Protecting the rights of children with intersex conditions from non-consensual gender-conforming medical interventions: from theory to practice’

Jameson Garland, Uppsala University

‘Making the State Responsible: Intersex Embodiment, Medical Jurisdiction and State Responsibility’

Fae Garland and Mitchell Travis





3.00 – 3.30 Refreshments

3.30 – 5.00 Female Genital Cutting





'Gender and honour-based violence: The case of female genital mutilation'

Hibo Wardere, Campaigner and activist

‘Why a U.S. law banning 'FGM' was ruled unconstitutional and what can be done to protect children’

Brian Earp, Philosophy, Yale & Oxford





Saturday 27th April

9.30 – 11.00 Bringing Law & Medicine Together





‘A binding covenant’

Antony Lempert, Secular Medical Forum

‘Supporting the United Nations in developing awareness of all forms of genital cutting’

J. Steven Svoboda, Attorneys for the Rights of the Child & Antony Lempert, Secular Medical Forum





11.00 - 11.30 Refreshments

11.30 - 1.00 Exploring Common Ground





Campaigning for (circumcision) change: some ideas for the UK

Rebecca Steinfeld, Independent Researcher and Campaigner

‘The Anomaly of Male Genital Cutting’

Saxon Norgard, Rightsinfo





1.00 – 2.00 Lunch

2.00 – 3.30 The Place of Human Rights





‘Perspectives on framing childhood Intersex medical treatment as Human Rights abuses’

Daniela Crocetti, University of Huddersfield

‘Joined-up thinking? Genital cutting and coherent legal frameworks in Europe’

James Chegwidden, Old Square Chambers





3.30 – 4.00 Refreshments

4.00 – 5.00 Roundtable

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Please note:

The registration fee does not include accommodation.

There are many options available in Leeds, including bed and breakfast, hotels, serviced apartments and AirBnB and similar. Please contact us if you require further information.

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