Date: April 2nd
Time: 12:00pm -1:00pm EST
Type: Virtual
This one-hour event situates FGM/C within a North American context and explores the role lawyers can play beyond the courtroom in prevention, advocacy, and survivor-centered support. The virtual panel will introduce participants to the current legal framework around FGM/C in the United States and Canada, while emphasizing the need for a multisectoral, community-based approach to prevention and response. Speakers from legal, institutional, and community-based perspectives will discuss how FGM/C presents in practice, the challenges of translating laws into protection and care, and what lawyers, regardless of their area of practice, can do to support efforts to end FGM/C. The conversation will include practical actions such as pro bono work, policy advocacy, research, trauma-informed responses to disclosures, referral pathways, and opportunities to collaborate with organizations like Sahiyo. The session will conclude with a moderated Q&A and a clear call to action for legal professionals.