Each year since the 2012 organisations and individuals advocating for greater awareness, support, and legal protection have gathered in Cologne, Germany for the Worldwide Day of Genital Autonomy (WWDOGA). Many of you that have followed this subject for some time will have seen 15 Square share news and updates for this annual event commemorating the Cologne Ruling.
Individuals from organisations around the world have come along to show support for the event and to network together and discuss projects, strategy, and developments from around the world. This annual event is incredibly effective for bringing collaborators together in their mutual work towards genital autonomy for all – male, female, and intersex.
The websites with the updated 2026 call are now online:
https://genitale-
https://genital-autonomy.de/ (English)
This year, 15 Square is helping to gather donations to help set up this year’s WWDOGA in partnership with our colleagues overseas. This event will be live-streamed with videos produced by event participants and organisations. 15 Square will also produce a video campaign with professional videography for the organisations in attendance to help share their messages.
About the Cologne Ruling
The Cologne Ruling refers to the landmark 2012 decision by the Regional Court of Cologne, Germany, which ruled that non-therapeutic circumcision of boys performed without the child’s consent constituted criminal battery under German law. The court emphasised that a child’s right to bodily integrity took precedence over parental religious rights, stating that (as the law was written) medically unnecessary foreskin removal falls under the definition and legal framework of assault against a child.
This ruling was significant because it was the first time a German court explicitly recognised that the right to self-determination applies to genitalia, challenging the long-standing practice of non-therapeutic circumcision. Although the ruling was widely publicised and sparked global debate, it was short-lived: Germany’s Bundestag swiftly passed legislation in December 2012 that legalised religious circumcision for minors.
This legalisation by the Bundestag permitting circumcision introduced a new law. It did not challenge the Cologne Court’s interpretation of the law, further legitimising this interpretation as concluded in the Cologne Ruling.
We hope that you will consider contributing towards this campaign. You can find out more about the WWDOGA and this years theme on the official website. Any funds raised that exceed our original goal will go towards the next event and help us to ensure that the Cologne Ruling is not forgotten.
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