This March, Sahiyo will participate in multiple events at the 70th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) in New York City, bringing survivor-led perspectives to global conversations on FGM/C, gender-based violence, and bodily autonomy. View the event details below!
Dismantling Racism in Anti-FGM/C Movements: Path to Decolonial, Survivor-Led Advocacy
- Hosted by Sahiyo
- March 9, 2026 | 12:30 – 2:00 PM
- Salvation Army, 221 E. 52nd St., New York, NY
This Sahiyo-led parallel event examines how anti-Blackness, racial hierarchies, and harmful “severity” framings undermine solidarity and harm survivors. Drawing on Sahiyo’s Critical Intersections Research Project and a 2025 global survivor convening, the session will feature a survivor-advocate fireside discussion and small-group dialogue focused on advancing survivor-centered, anti-racist approaches to ending FGM/C.
Resisting the Conflation of FGM/C with Gender-Affirming Care
- Co-hosted by Equality Now, U.S. End FGM/C Network, and Sahiyo
- March 9, 2026 | 2:30 – 4:00 PM
- Salvation Army, 221 E. 52nd St., New York, NY
This panel and Q&A will address the growing conflation of FGM/C with gender-affirming care in law and policy, highlighting the human rights, legal, and medical distinctions and the global risks this narrative poses to women, girls, and LGBTQI+ communities.
Dismantling Racism in Anti-FGM/C Movements: Path to Decolonial, Survivor-Led Advocacy
- Hosted by Sahiyo, The Girl Generation, and The Global Platform for Action to End FGM/C
- Wednesday, March 11, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM
- New York City
This gathering will convene advocates, donors, legal professionals, movement leaders, and partners committed to advancing racial justice within anti-FGM/C work.
During the evening, Sahiyo will publicly present its Race x FGM/C Position Paper, developed following a December 2025 global survivor-expert convening led in partnership with Dr. Leyla Siirad Hussein Gikand. Building on Sahiyo’s Critical Intersections research project, the paper examines how racism, anti-Blackness, and power inequities shape the global movement to end FGM/C. It offers a practical framework for advocates and funders to strengthen survivor-led, grassroots work and advance more equitable decision-making and resource distribution.
The presentation will be followed by a reception with light refreshments and an opportunity to connect with colleagues and partners.
For security purposes, the exact address will not be publicly listed. The location will be shared in your confirmation email upon registration.
We hope you will join us for this important conversation and moment of collective reflection and action.
Access to Justice for FGM/C Survivors: Harm, Justice and Healing
- Hosted by the Sisterhood Initiative, ARROW, Sahiyo India, and the Women Health Foundation
- Friday March 13, 2026, 4:30 AM – 6:00 AM EST
- Virtual
This virtual panel will examine female genital mutilation/ cutting (FGM/C) through the interconnected lenses of harm, access to justice, and survivor centered support and healing in Asia. Drawing on experiences from Sri Lanka, India, and Indonesia, speakers will share evidence documenting survivors’ lived experiences and the justice gaps they face and highlight how in some contexts justice requires looking beyond legislation and punitive laws to include community-based work that addresses the structural barriers and norms to promote survivors’ rights. The session will feature community-based work in Sri Lanka, India and Indonesia as a critical response to justice gaps, demonstrating how healing, agency, and dignity are integral to justice. The discussion aligns with CSW70’s priority theme by calling for inclusive, equitable systems that address harm and support long-term recovery.
What Works to End FGM/C: Evidence and Learning from The Girl Generation
- Hosted by The Girl Generation
- March 16, 2026 | 10:30 AM–12:00 PM
- Church Center for the United Nations, New York, NY
Kaneez Madraswalla will represent Sahiyo, sharing insights on survivor leadership and community-centered approaches to ending FGM/C, drawing on evidence from Africa-led movement building.
Together, these CSW70 engagements reflect Sahiyo’s commitment to dismantling racism, centering survivor leadership, and advancing decolonial approaches to end FGM/C globally.
