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Assita Adoua Kanko (born 14 July 1980) is a Burkinabé-born Belgian journalist, human rights activist, author and politician.

Key Information

She was elected as a Member of the European Parliament in 2019 representing the New Flemish Alliance and currently serves as a vice-chairwoman of the European Conservatives and Reformists group.[1]

Biography

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Early life and education

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Kanko was born in Godyr, Burkina Faso[2] in 1980 to a Muslim family and grew up in a small village where her father worked as a teacher and according to Kanko was engaged in multiple polygamous relationships. She was subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM) as a child and has since campaigned for the practice to be banned. In a 2016 interview, Kanko explained that she was tricked into the procedure by her mother who told her she was being taken to a friend's house to play. At a young age, she discovered books by French feminist author Simone de Beauvoir and European enlightenment philosophers which made her question the society in which she was raised.[3][4]

She has said her first exposure to politics was the assassination of Burkina Faso president Thomas Sankara. After the murder of the influential Burkinabè journalist Norbert Zongo in 1998, she studied journalism in Ouagadougou and took an interest in human rights activism.[5] Kanko moved to the Netherlands in 2001 to continue journalism studies and settled in Brussels in 2004 after meeting her husband. She became a Belgian citizen in 2008.[6] In 2010, she became a member of the think tank Liberales and worked as a parliamentary aide to the Flemish Open VLD party. From 2011 to 2015, Kanko worked in communications for the bank BNP Paribas before studying a master's degree in international politics at the CERIS-ULB Diplomatic School of Brussels. From 2015 to 2019, she worked for the Belgian Technical Cooperation (now Enabel) as a director and in 2018 was an advisor to Mouvement Réformateur (MR) politician Denis Ducarme on issues related to violence against women.[7]

Political career

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Kanko was elected as a municipal councillor in Ixelles for the French speaking Mouvement Réformateur in 2012.[6][8] In 2018, she joined the Dutch speaking New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) party, stating that she supported the policies of the N-VA's migration spokesman Theo Francken and that stronger policies were needed to tackle human trafficking and illegal immigration.[8]

Kanko was elected to the European Parliament on the N-VA's list in 2019 and currently sits as a Vice-Chairwoman on the European Conservatives and Reformists group. In view of the apparent withdrawal of the United States from certainwhich ones? global political issues, she supports a more active role of the European Union and assumes that if not, China would attempt to fill the void. In her role as an MEP she has also advocated for issues facing the African continent and called for increased cooperation in coordinating medical provisions for African nations during the COVID-19 pandemic.[9]

In 2023, Kanko supported Ukraine during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and was critical of the EU's response, arguing the Union "woke up too late" to the problem and "took peace for granted". She argued against neutrality with Russian president Putin and supports sending surplus military equipment to Ukrainian forces, stating: "If I were Bambi, unarmed, why would I negotiate peace with a lion? I would see peace, but the lion would only see a meal."[10]

In 2023, an investigation was opened against Kanko following complaints about her intimidating her parliamentary staff. This investigation was closed due to insufficient proof.[11][12]

Following the 2023 Hamas attack in Israel, Kanko called for Hamas to be "dismantled" during a speech in the European Parliament and argued the West should "not be naive about radical Islam." She has also called on Belgium and the European Union to review its funding towards UNRWA, arguing the organisation has become corrupted by Hamas. She has also spoken out against antisemitism in European and American universities.[13]

In March 2024, Kanko was one of twenty MEPs to be given a "Rising Star" award at The Parliament Magazine's annual MEP Awards.[14]

Kanko was reelected during the 2024 European Parliament elections and resumed her role as vice-chairwoman of the ECR group. In the 2024 Belgian municipal elections, she was elected as a councilor for the N-VA in Vilvoorde.[15]

Activism and other work

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In addition to her political work, Kanko has also been active as an author (see Bibliography), as an advisor to companies on how to best implement Sustainable Development Goals, and as a columnist for De Standaard.[16]

Kanko has described herself as a women's rights activist and founded an organisation called Polin to encourage equal opportunities and more female involvement in politics.[16] In her writing, she has spoken of the importance of defending European Enlightenment values, having responsible immigration policies and has argued for the stronger integration of immigrants into both European and Western society instead of pursuing multiculturalism.[3][8] As a victim of FGM, Kanko has also worked with the AHA Foundation founded by Ayaan Hirsi Ali to combat FGM, forced marriages and human rights abuses.

In 2017, Kanko received the Ebony Spur award from the N-VA before she became a member, an annual award given by the party to an individual from a non-Flemish background who has made a special contribution to Flemish society. The award was presented by N-VA general secretary Louis Ide who justified the prize by stating: "As a politician, she tells a story about security, about the economy, about education that is a breath of fresh air in French-speaking Belgium. As a writer, her story gives female migrants the strength to escape the social pressure that they often still experience within their own communities and thus really build a new life here."[17]

Personal life

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Kanko is married to a Belgian man and has one daughter (born 2008) and lives in Brussels with her family.[16]

Bibliography

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References

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Assita Kanko

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Assita Kanko (born 14 July 1980) is a , human rights activist, , and of Burkinabé origin, serving as a for the (N-VA) since 2019.
Born in , Kanko grew up in a context of restricted , including undergoing female genital mutilation at age five, which informed her subsequent against such practices, forced marriages, and for protections of women and children. After relocating to , she founded Polin, an organization advancing equal opportunities and women's involvement in politics, and worked as a while entering public life.
In the , Kanko holds the position of Vice-Chair of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group and participates in committees on , justice and home affairs, , security and defence, and . Her priorities include stringent migration and integration policies, combating crime and terrorism, bolstering law enforcement support, and addressing security threats. In 2023, the investigated claims of staff harassment against her but closed the probe upon determining insufficient evidence.

Early Life and Background

Childhood and Family in

Assita Kanko was born on 14 July 1980 in Godyr, a rural area in . She spent her early childhood in a small village, immersed in a traditional, conservative society characterized by limited opportunities for women and adherence to longstanding cultural practices. Kanko's family background reflected the broader socio-cultural norms of rural during that era, where extended networks and communal traditions shaped daily life. Her mother played a central role in her upbringing, guiding her through rites associated with local customs, including an at age five that involved her being taken by the hand to a traditional . By age ten, Kanko attended a local village , where occasional foreign aid, such as distributions of pencils and notebooks by French visitors, provided glimpses of external influences amid the prevailing isolation and . From a young age, Kanko demonstrated early awareness of gender-based constraints in her environment, aspiring even as a child to roles that could challenge oppressive traditions, such as envisioning herself as president of to eradicate harmful practices affecting girls. This period laid the foundation for her later advocacy, rooted in firsthand experiences of familial and communal expectations in a context where approximately three-quarters of women underwent similar traditional initiations.

Experience with Female Genital Mutilation

Assita Kanko underwent female genital mutilation at the age of five in a small village in . Her mother took her there under the pretense of visiting a friend's house to play, but instead led her to a dirty, derelict building where other girls were also gathered. The procedure was performed by elderly women who forced Kanko to the ground, removed her underwear, and spread her legs apart, inflicting excruciating pain without any prior explanation or . She later recalled screaming in pain and fear, but receiving no comfort from those present. Immediately afterward, she felt profound betrayal toward her mother for the deception and was instructed not to discuss the event, which isolated her emotionally and fostered deep distrust. The experience inflicted lasting on Kanko, including low , feelings of incompleteness, and insecurity in personal relationships. She has described the wounds—both physical and emotional—as never fully healing, only gradually improving over time, and permanently damaging her bond with her mother, though she has worked to rebuild it. Kanko has stated that female genital mutilation "kills your " and abruptly ends a girl's childhood, contributing to her later identification as a feminist motivated to challenge such practices.

Immigration to Belgium and Education

Kanko initially pursued journalism studies in Burkina Faso from 1998 to 2001, achieving top academic performance in high school there. Following the 1998 assassination of her journalistic mentor Norbert Zongo, she relocated to the Netherlands in 2001 to continue her journalism education. She subsequently moved to Belgium in 2004, settling in Brussels, where she integrated into Flemish society and obtained Belgian citizenship in 2008. In , Kanko advanced her education in and business. She earned a in international politics from CERIS, the Diplomatic School of affiliated with the (ULB), in 2013. Later, from 2016 to 2017, she completed a focused on and at the Solvay Brussels School of and , part of ULB. These qualifications supported her transition into communications and advocacy roles prior to entering politics.

Pre-Political Career

Journalistic Work

Kanko pursued studies in , , from 1998 to 2001, amid a period of that included the murder of her mentor, investigative reporter Norbert Zongo, on December 13, 1998. Zongo's , which she has cited as a pivotal event shaping her commitment to free speech and , prompted her departure from in 2001 to continue journalism training in the before settling in . In Belgium, Kanko transitioned into communications roles, including a position at from 2011 to 2015, while establishing herself as a and contributor. Her writings often intersected with her , focusing on cultural practices and ; for instance, in a 2016 Guardian article, she critiqued efforts to downplay certain forms of female genital as non-harmful, drawing from personal experience to emphasize its lasting psychological and physical impacts. In 2020, she published an piece defending the historical acknowledgment of King Leopold II's legacy in Belgium, arguing against selective erasure of uncomfortable colonial history in favor of comprehensive national reckoning. These contributions positioned Kanko as a voice advocating evidence-based critique over ideological sanitization, though her output leaned toward commentary rather than investigative reporting, reflecting her broader pre-political emphasis on public discourse and integration challenges in Europe.

Human Rights Activism

Prior to entering formal politics, Assita Kanko engaged in human rights activism rooted in her experiences in Burkina Faso and Belgium, focusing on freedom of expression, women's empowerment, and opposition to cultural practices that undermine individual autonomy. As a student in Ouagadougou, she participated in the Burkinabé student movement advocating for freedom of speech, challenging restrictions on dissent amid the country's political climate in the early 2000s. After immigrating to in 2001, Kanko channeled her efforts into with a human rights lens, writing and speaking on issues affecting women, immigrants, and victims of traditional abuses, emphasizing universal principles of equality and over relativistic cultural justifications. Her work highlighted systemic violations beyond isolated incidents, including the need to confront honor-based violence and unequal opportunities that perpetuate dependency and silence. In 2018, Kanko founded Polin, a political incubator designed to foster equal opportunities for women in by providing training, networking, and to increase female representation and leadership, addressing barriers to participation in processes. This initiative reflected her broader commitment to through practical empowerment, aiming to equip women with tools for and influence without relying on quotas or paternalistic interventions. Through these activities, Kanko positioned as grounded in individual agency rather than collective traditions, influencing her later political roles.

Anti-FGM Advocacy and Organizations Founded

Kanko, a survivor of female genital mutilation (FGM) inflicted at age seven in , emerged as a prominent against the practice following her to in 2001. She publicly recounted the physical and psychological trauma, emphasizing the procedure's brutality and lifelong consequences, including pain, infections, and severed familial bonds, to challenge cultural justifications and promote global awareness. In media contributions, Kanko rejected toward FGM, countering a 2016 Economist editorial that suggested permitting "milder" forms by asserting, from personal experience, that no variant avoids enduring harm to and . Her 2014 , Parce que tu es une fille, detailed her early encounters with FGM and broader gender-based oppression in , aiming to empower girls through testimony and critique of patriarchal traditions. Prior to her full entry into partisan politics, Kanko engaged in human rights campaigns in Belgium, collaborating on awareness efforts against FGM importation via migration and advocating stricter enforcement of bans, while highlighting risks to unaccompanied minors and holiday "cutting" trips. She integrated anti-FGM work into broader women's rights activism, focusing on self-determination and rejecting multicultural exemptions that perpetuate violence under the guise of tolerance. No specific organizations dedicated exclusively to anti-FGM were founded by Kanko during this period; her efforts centered on personal testimony, journalistic output, and preparatory political groundwork rather than institutional creation.

Political Involvement

Affiliation with N-VA and Entry into Politics

Kanko entered formal party politics in Belgium as a councilor for the Francophone liberal Mouvement Réformateur (MR) in Brussels, serving in that role prior to 2018. On December 14, 2018, she left MR and affiliated with the Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (N-VA), a Flemish nationalist party emphasizing conservative policies on migration, integration, and cultural preservation. Kanko cited N-VA's "clear and honest policy line, in particular regarding migration and integration," as a key reason for the switch, expressing alignment with the party's stance on restricting uncontrolled and promoting assimilation into Belgian values. She also emphasized the need for greater "" in , critiquing what she viewed as ideological conformity in her prior affiliation. N-VA leadership, including Vice-Chairman Cieltje Van Achter, welcomed Kanko as a significant reinforcement, announcing her placement on the party's list for the May 2019 elections. This affiliation positioned her to campaign on N-VA's platform, leveraging her background in advocacy to address issues like cultural integration and opposition to practices such as female genital mutilation within an immigration control framework.

2019 Election to European Parliament

Assita Kanko stood as a candidate for the Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (N-VA) in the European Parliament elections held on 26 May 2019 in 's Dutch-speaking , which allocates 12 of the country's 21 seats. The N-VA, a Flemish nationalist party emphasizing sovereignty and strict immigration controls, secured three seats through based on list votes. Kanko was elected as one of the representatives, serving alongside party figures Geert Bourgeois and Johan Van Overtveldt. Her candidacy built on prior local political engagement with the N-VA, including roles in , where she advocated for integration policies aligned with the party's platform. As a prominent voice on and anti-Islamism, Kanko's profile appealed to voters concerned with cultural preservation and security, contributing to the N-VA's retention of its representation despite competition from . Upon taking office in the 9th parliamentary term, Kanko joined the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, reflecting the N-VA's affiliation, and was appointed Vice-Chair, positioning her to influence debates on , justice, and home affairs. This role underscored her rapid ascent within conservative European networks, focused on national over supranational integration.

Re-election in 2024 and Current Roles

In the European Parliament elections held on June 9, 2024, Assita Kanko was re-elected as a (MEP) for Belgium's (N-VA), with the party retaining its three seats from the previous term. Following the vote, she delivered a statement on behalf of the ECR Group, emphasizing the need for a center-right to address citizens' aspirations. Kanko resumed her role as Vice-Chair of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) Group in the 2024-2029 parliamentary term, during which the group expanded to 84 MEPs. In this capacity, she coordinates ECR activities in the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and serves as deputy coordinator in the Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield (EUDS). As of October 2025, Kanko's parliamentary responsibilities include full membership in LIBE, the Committee on Women’s Rights and (FEMM), and EUDS; membership in the Delegation for relations with the (D-US); and substitute roles in the Committee on (AFET) and the Delegation to the Africa-EU Parliamentary Assembly (DAFR). In December 2024, she spearheaded and was appointed to lead the European Parliament's first Intergroup on Policing, aimed at enhancing cooperation across the EU.

Policy Positions and Legislative Work

Stances on Immigration and Border Security

Assita Kanko advocates for robust border security measures to curb , emphasizing that uncontrolled inflows undermine European welfare states and public safety while necessitating protection of genuine refugees through legal channels. She has repeatedly criticized the European Union's migration framework for its ineffectiveness, arguing that policies must prioritize external border enforcement over internal redistribution or symbolic gestures. In response to asylum crises, Kanko has called for physical barriers at EU external borders, stating in February 2023 that "Europe must build a , a , so to speak," supported by a majority of member states including the . She proposes externalizing asylum procedures beyond territory, citing Denmark's model, to prevent irregular entries and enable collective decision-making rather than unilateral burdens on frontline nations like . This approach, she contends, balances with societal preservation, as "we must help refugees, but at the same time, we must protect our own society and maintain our ." Kanko has described the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum as "unworkable," faulting it for effectively opening borders after illegal crossings, relying on unproven rapid screenings at hotspots like and , and promising "rapid returns" that fail amid geopolitical obstacles, with historical return rates hovering around 20%. She favors models like Australia's, featuring closed borders and denial of residence rights for irregular arrivals, alongside safe legal pathways for verified refugees, insisting that border policy and humanity are compatible rather than contradictory. During debates, Kanko has highlighted the scarcity of effective controls and non-committal integration efforts, warning that lax enforcement invites insecurity, as evidenced by public reactions to incidents like knife attacks in . In October 2024, she urged establishing a dedicated protection agency by reforming Frontex's mandate to better equip member states, rather than mere funding increases, to avert the reimposition of internal borders—which she views as detrimental to the , consumers, and travel. She welcomes security-first strategies focused on strict controls and boosted returns to address and trafficking networks.

Views on Women's Rights and Cultural Integration

Assita Kanko, who underwent female genital mutilation (FGM) at the age of five in , has positioned the eradication of such practices as central to her advocacy for in , describing FGM as a profound violation of human dignity and European core values. As a co-negotiator for the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) Group on a proposed Directive against toward women, she has called for harmonized, strict across all member states, noting that only 18 of 27 currently have specific FGM and emphasizing mandatory reporting by medical professionals despite fears of reprisal. Kanko argues that successful cultural integration requires prioritizing law over imported traditions or religious justifications that perpetuate such abuses, warning that failure to enforce this allows parallel societies where women's autonomy is subordinated. Kanko has repeatedly criticized as a direct threat to , asserting that it erodes the foundations of European civilization by depriving women of , including freedom from marital captivity and Sharia-influenced family laws. In a 2021 European Parliament debate, she condemned the institution's "cowardly, aloof attitude" for omitting Islamism's victims—such as apostates and ex-Muslim women like —from reports, arguing this promotes segregation and betrays the EU's role as a beacon for oppressed women worldwide. She has hosted high-level roundtables on marital captivity and, drawing from her experience as a secular Muslim , emphasized personal from "Islamic pressure" as essential to living in dignity, rejecting that normalizes radical codes over European norms. On cultural integration, Kanko advocates assimilation into Western values as a prerequisite for safeguarding women's sovereignty over their bodies, particularly for Muslim women vulnerable to honor-based or imported practices incompatible with European . She opposes unchecked immigration that fosters "soft Islamisation" via groups like the , which she accuses of using "Islamophobia" accusations to censor debate and gradually impose non-adaptive ways of life, instead urging immigrants to conform to host societies to prevent the erosion of rights like bodily autonomy. In speeches, she has highlighted how illegal migration exacerbates risks to women by straining integration efforts, insisting that true human rights demand rejecting tabooed discussions on these failures to prioritize empirical protection over ideological tolerance. Kanko's stance frames not as abstract ideals but as contingent on robust borders and value-enforcing policies that counter .

Positions on Islamism, Woke Ideology, and Sovereignty

Assita Kanko has consistently criticized and as threats to European societies, advocating for explicit recognition of these ideologies in policy frameworks. In response to the European Commission's 2020 integration plan, she argued that failing to name "" hinders effective countermeasures against and security risks, stating, "How can we tackle a problem if we don’t name it?" She links , exemplified by groups like the , to efforts at "soft Islamisation" that seek to impose radical codes on Western norms rather than promoting adaptation to European values. As a self-identified secular Muslim who survived female genital mutilation in , Kanko emphasizes protecting women oppressed by Islamist practices, criticizing the European Parliament's gender equality reports for ignoring victims like and Lale Gül, who face death threats for opposing such ideologies. She has called for EU legislation to address 's erosion of rights, positioning it as incompatible with humanism and dignity. Kanko opposes ideology and as regressive forces that undermine freedom and European heritage, describing them as exhibiting a "deep loathing of our civilisation" that confines individuals rather than liberating them. In a parliamentary question to the Commission, she challenged the replacement of traditional terms like "ladies and gentlemen" with "dear colleagues" and the avoidance of "" or " period" in favor of neutral phrasing, questioning whether such changes reflect discriminatory views of European heritage or impose "" and ideologies. She frames totalitarianism alongside radical as dual threats that must defeat to preserve rooted principles, warning that unchecked, they erode cultural confidence and freedom of expression. Kanko advocates reaffirming Enlightenment values—such as those of and Goethe—against and reverse racism, which she sees as prioritizing grievance over emancipation. On , Kanko supports a "euro-realist" approach that balances enhanced EU cooperation in areas like and judicial affairs with respect for national competencies, aligning with her (N-VA) affiliation's emphasis on . She has endorsed reforms cherishing national while strengthening tools like the for border control, describing herself as a "believer in EU " to enhance internal safety through national collaboration. In debates on Poland's disputes, she acknowledged concerns but affirmed the primacy of EU legal order as a condition of membership, urging dialogue to avoid fragmentation in a "divided house." This stance reflects her push for Europe to prioritize practical in migration and defense over supranational overreach, fostering unity through shared cultural roots rather than imposed uniformity.

Foreign Policy and International Relations

Assita Kanko serves as a member of the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), where she engages on issues including external relations, security, and defense policy. She also participates as a full member in the for relations with the and as a substitute in the to the Africa-EU Parliamentary Assembly, focusing on transatlantic cooperation and EU-African partnerships. In EU-Africa relations, Kanko has consistently criticized the bloc's paternalistic "nanny ," arguing that it treats African nations as perpetual dependents rather than equal partners capable of . Born in , she advocates for policies emphasizing mutual respect, economic reciprocity, and African agency, warning that aid-driven approaches foster dependency and undermine local . For instance, in February 2022, she called for the EU to prioritize trade partnerships over subsidies, stating that must stop "babysitting" to enable genuine development. On Russia's invasion of , Kanko has faulted the for its initial hesitancy in providing robust , urging accelerated arms deliveries and sanctions to counter aggression effectively. She views such delays as symptomatic of broader weakness in projecting power, emphasizing the need for in defense without reliance on pacifist constraints. Kanko maintains strong support for amid conflicts, describing her stance as "firm and unambiguous" while acknowledging the humanitarian toll in Gaza and advocating targeted aid. In September 2025, she reiterated that 's security must not be compromised by disproportionate criticism, positioning herself against what she sees as tendencies to equivocate on threats from groups like . Broader critiques of foreign policy from Kanko highlight its perceived irrelevance on the global stage, attributing this to internal divisions and a to prioritize national interests over ideological . In June 2025, she noted the EU's struggle to assert itself internationally, calling for a more assertive posture in dealings with powers like and to safeguard European .

Controversies and Criticisms

2023 Harassment Investigation

In May 2023, the opened an internal investigation into allegations of against Assita Kanko, a Belgian (MEP) affiliated with the (N-VA), following a formal filed by a former staff member in November 2022. The complaints, voiced anonymously by multiple former parliamentary aides, centered on claims of a toxic work environment characterized by a "culture of fear," excessive demands outside normal working hours—including requests issued at midnight, on weekends, and during days off—and inappropriate personal tasks such as babysitting Kanko's child, collecting food, running errands, carrying her handbag, dry cleaning, and driving. Staff reportedly described being treated "like vassals," enduring frequent last-minute plan changes, and facing psychological tactics that induced guilt, contributing to high turnover with 13 aides employed over four years. Kanko, who had also lodged a parallel complaint against the primary accuser for , maintained that the allegations were unfounded and declined detailed comment during the probe, emphasizing her commitment to staff welfare. The European Parliament's advisory committee on conduct reviewed the case under its internal rules on , which define such behavior as actions impairing dignity or creating an intimidating environment. On July 28, 2023, the investigation concluded without substantiating the claims, leading to the dismissal of the complaint and full clearance of Kanko. Kanko described the outcome as vindication, noting it affirmed the absence of misconduct, amid broader scrutiny of harassment cases in the that year, which included at least three confirmed instances involving other MEPs.

Accusations of Extremism and Responses

Kanko has faced accusations of primarily from left-leaning critics and media outlets, who have labeled her views as "far-right" or "hard-right" in response to her outspoken opposition to political , advocacy for stricter controls, and critiques of . For example, a May 2025 Times of profile described her as operating from the "benches of hard-right," linking her positions to the growing influence of right-wing blocs in European . Similarly, EUobserver characterized her as a "rightwing " in coverage of the 2024 elections, noting the broader shift toward non-centrist representation. These labels often arise without specific evidence of extremist actions or ideologies on her part, instead reflecting disagreement with her emphasis on cultural integration and , positions aligned with her N-VA affiliation and ECR parliamentary group. In response, Kanko has consistently rejected such characterizations as rhetorical tools to delegitimize debate on security and integration challenges. In a June 2024 statement, she observed that advocating to "stop radical " routinely results in far-right labeling, adding that "these labels mean nothing anymore" amid real threats from both far-right and far-left extremes. She has argued that such accusations conflate principled defense of freedoms—drawn from her experiences fleeing oppression in and surviving female genital mutilation—with fringe ideologies, thereby shielding from scrutiny. During a December 2023 discussion, Kanko recounted being termed an "extremist" for upholding women's respect and dignity, questioning the logic: "If this makes me an extremist, I don't know how they call the real extremists." She maintains that her stances prioritize empirical risks, such as Islamist networks targeting youth, over politically motivated smears. Kanko's rebuttals highlight a pattern where mainstream critiques, often from outlets with progressive leanings, apply "extremist" broadly to conservative skepticism, potentially overlooking causal links between unchecked migration and security incidents like the 2016 Brussels attacks, which she attributed to policy failures in addressing ideological threats. Rather than extremism, she frames her work as a defense of Enlightenment values against ideologies that subordinate individual rights, urging focus on verifiable data over attacks.

Media and Political Opposition

Kanko's advocacy for stricter immigration controls and opposition to radical Islam has drawn criticism from left-leaning political groups in the European Parliament, including the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), Greens/EFA, and Renew Europe. In an October 2024 debate on establishing external return hubs for irregular migrants, MEPs from these groups challenged her proposals for enhanced border enforcement, arguing they undermined humanitarian principles and EU values. Similarly, French far-left MEP Manon Aubry confronted Kanko in a plenary exchange, accusing her and ECR allies of aligning with far-right agendas on rule of law and migration issues. Mainstream media outlets have frequently framed Kanko's positions within narratives associating her with nationalist or "hard-right" politics, despite her ECR affiliation emphasizing conservative reform over extremism. Coverage in publications like and has described her N-VA party as nationalist or hard-right, contextualizing her critiques of unchecked migration and as part of broader right-wing resistance to policies such as the Green Deal. Kanko has countered such portrayals, stating that demands for crime reduction and ideological scrutiny are routinely labeled "far-right" to stifle debate, reflecting a pattern where empirical concerns about integration failures are dismissed as . Independent outlets like Brussels Watch have leveled unsubstantiated claims of foreign influence, such as alleged UAE ties, which Kanko and investigations have refuted, highlighting selective scrutiny often absent from coverage of progressive figures.

Publications

Major Books and Writings

Assita Kanko's debut book, Parce que tu es une fille: Histoire d'une vie excisée, published in 2014 by Éditions du Renouveau, details her early life in , including her experience with female genital mutilation at age five and the resulting gender inequalities she observed between brothers and sisters. The memoir highlights her awakening to discrimination and her initial advocacy for from a young age. In 2015, Kanko released La deuxième moitié: Plaidoyer pour un nouveau , published by Lannoo, which critiques mainstream for overlooking issues like in certain cultural contexts and advocates for a emphasizing individual liberty, integration, and opposition to practices such as excision and forced marriages. The book draws on her personal background to argue for through and rather than victimhood narratives. Kanko also authored Leading Ladies: Prenez votre part de pouvoir (2018, Éditions de l'Avenir), focusing on strategies for women to ascend to positions by overcoming barriers like self-doubt and societal expectations, with practical advice informed by her own political trajectory. Additionally, she co-wrote or contributed to Dutch-language works such as Zoeken naar vrijheid (Searching for Freedom), which explores themes of migration, , and cultural adaptation based on her journey from to . Beyond books, Kanko has contributed columns and articles to Belgian outlets like and , often addressing immigration integration, Islamist threats to , and critiques of ideological excesses in gender politics, though these are secondary to her major published works.

Key Articles and Contributions

Assita Kanko has authored several pieces in European media, emphasizing cultural preservation, critiques of paternalistic foreign policies, and opposition to identity-based divisions. In an October 1, 2024, contribution to Euractiv titled " must fight to defend its identity," she contended that requires a robust defense of its foundational values amid encroachments from , exemplified by the Muslim Brotherhood's influence, and progressive ideologies that erode national sovereignty. On EU-Africa relations, Kanko published "EU-Africa: Let's end EU's 'nanny ' and commit to building a real partnership with " in The Parliament Magazine on February 22, 2022, criticizing the bloc's aid-driven model as fostering dependency and among African elites while advocating for trade-focused rooted in mutual economic interests. A related piece in the same outlet, "EU-Africa: A relationship built on mutual interests," reinforced her call for the EU to prioritize actionable partnerships over rhetorical commitments. In the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant, Kanko's March 2, 2021, "Ik ben tegen de culturele apartheid van de stemmingmakerij" rejected race-essentialist framings in discourse, arguing that overemphasizing skin color perpetuates division akin to cultural segregation and undermines universal human dignity. These writings align with her broader journalistic background in , where she addressed and integration prior to entering , though her post-MEP output has centered on critique.

Personal Life

Family and Personal Challenges

Assita Kanko was subjected to female genital mutilation at the age of five in her native , an experience she has described as involving intense pain and fear while being held down during the procedure. This form of mutilation, prevalent among approximately 75% of women in at the time, left lasting physical and psychological effects, including associations with loneliness and the sensory details of the event. Kanko, born on July 14, 1980, in Godyr, grew up in a conservative cultural environment that imposed strict gender roles and limited opportunities for women, prompting her early against such practices as a child. Facing oppression from this traditional setting, Kanko pursued journalism studies in before migrating to in 2001 to escape constraints and advance her advocacy for , particularly . In , she established a but became a single mother, raising children in while building a career in and . This personal circumstance has presented ongoing challenges in reconciling demanding professional roles—such as her position as a —with parental duties. In August 2024, Kanko declined to pursue the mayoral candidacy in , citing the need to prioritize time amid her intensive political commitments, a decision she framed as demonstrating in managing work-life balance. She has publicly emphasized the importance of setting boundaries, stating in July 2024 that "it is okay to say no when you need to be with your ," reflecting the strains of her high-profile role on personal relationships. These challenges underscore her navigation of integration, single parenthood, and cultural adaptation in .

Residences and Current Status

Assita Kanko relocated to Middelkerke, a coastal municipality in , , during the summer of 2025, moving from where she had resided since 2020. The relocation facilitates closer proximity to her mother, who lives in nearby Oostende. As of October 2025, Kanko maintains her role as a representing Belgium's Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (N-VA), with a focus on , , and home affairs committees. She serves as Vice-Chair of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) Group and remains engaged in ongoing parliamentary activities, including advocacy on migration policy and content moderation reforms.

References

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