On April 28th, Sahiyo was invited to take part in a panel discussion at the 2022 ABA International Law Section's Annual Conference being held in Washington D.C. The panel brought together a legal practitioner, journalist, and activist working towards gender equality and the elimination of FGC to discuss legal tools and other measures that have been adopted to end this practice worldwide.
Program Chair:
Sandrine Siewe, Georgetown Law, Washington, DC
Moderator:
Bayor Chantal Ngoltoingar, Anti FGM Advocate
Speakers:
Isabella Micali Drossos, Senior Counsel, World Bank
Shelby Quast, Robertson, Quast & Associates, US End FGM/C Network
Giselle Portenier, Journalist, End FGM Canada Network
Mariya Taher, Cofounder, Sahiyo, US End FGM/C Network
During the event, speakers introduced the World Bank's Fifth edition of the Compendium of International and National Legal Frameworks. The speakers also highlighted Federal- and state-level policy and law around FGC in the United States, and spoke to measures and programs that can help those impacted by FGC recover from the harms caused by this practice. Moreover, the panelists discussed the role of a bottom-up-oriented strategy, such as active and intergenerational dialogues within communities, for finding solutions to end FGC.