Lessons from the Field Webinar - Understanding Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting and How Educators Can Help

Event Date
- Add to Calendar 2023-02-22 15:00:00 2023-02-22 16:30:00 Lessons from the Field Webinar - Understanding Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting and How Educators Can Help Attention: State and District Leaders, School Administrators, Educators, Student Support Personnel, Parents, and Education Stakeholders The U.S. Department of Education is hosting a webinar series to address hot topics that are on the top of educators’ minds. After sharing federal updates, the series features lessons learned and best practices from faculty, staff, schools, districts, institutions of higher education, and other places of educational instruction. It also shares a variety of useful resources. On behalf of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Safe and Supportive Schools, the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE) invites you to join our next webinar, Understanding Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting and How Educators Can Help. Wednesday, February 22, 2023 3:00 – 4:30 pm ET Students across the United States come from a myriad of family backgrounds and cultural traditions that add to the vibrancy and diversity of schools. But what can educators do when these beliefs and practices may result in physical and psychological harm to female students? Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is any partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or any other injury of the female genital organs for nonmedical reasons. Educators are often a first point of intervention for girls who may be at risk of the practice. Because of the secretive and sensitive nature, educators may not know that students are at risk of FGM/C or what they can do to help. In this webinar, we will educate participants about FGM/C, including the number of women potentially at risk; discuss the impacts of the practice; share laws that can be used to protect girls and women; and explore strategies school personnel can use to support students who have been impacted by FGM/C. Speakers/Panelists Cindy Carraway-Wilson, Training Specialist, National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE) Elyse Robertson, Office of Safe and Supportive Schools in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education at the U.S. Department of Education Dr. Ekwutosi Okoroh, Commander, U.S. Public Health Service, Team Lead, Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Program, Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dr. Karen McDonnell, Associate Professor, Department of Prevention and Community Health, George Washington University Susan Masling, Senior Trial Attorney, Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice Angela Peabody, Founder and Executive Director, Global Woman® P.E.A.C.E. Foundation Kathryn Finley, Associate Legal Advisor, Human Rights Violator Law Division, Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Webinar Materials Speaker Bios Slides Recording Transcript (Coming soon on February 24) Related Resources Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in the United States and How Educators Can Help (NCSSLE) What Can States Do to Address Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in the U.S. (NCSSLE) Fact Sheet: Female Genital Mutilation or Cutting (Office on Women's Health) Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation Sahiyo: United Against Female Genital Cutting FGM/C Prevention: A Resource for Schools (Council of the Great City Schools) Women and FGM /C Toolkit: An Educational Toolkit to Empower FGM/C Survivors (George Washington University) Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Historical Overview of U.S. Policy and Legislative Responses to Honor-Based Violence, Forced Marriage, and Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (National Institute of Justice) Her Story, Uncut: Deka's Story​ (video) Female genital mutilation : a joint WHO/UNICEF/UNFPA statement (1997) Operation Limelight USA ICE Tipline: 1-866-347-2423 (U.S. and Canada), 1-802-872-6199 (international), and HRV.ICE@ice.dhs.gov National Child Abuse Hotline 24/7: 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) Accessing Services for FGM/C Adult Survivors: info@endfgmnetwork.org and www.endfgmnetwork.org DHS Gender-Based Violence Pamphlet Registration You must register to participate in this presentation. Register Please contact NCSSLE if you have any questions. We look forward to sharing this information with you and hearing about the important work you are doing in your schools, communities, and states to meet the needs of students and staff. More on the Lessons from the Field Webinar Series To access archived materials from previous webinars and to find out what is coming next, go here. Online Online noreply@air.org America/New_York public

Department of ED circular logo and Best Practices Clearinghouse Logo

Attention: State and District Leaders, School Administrators, Educators, Student Support Personnel, Parents, and Education Stakeholders

The U.S. Department of Education is hosting a webinar series to address hot topics that are on the top of educators’ minds. After sharing federal updates, the series features lessons learned and best practices from faculty, staff, schools, districts, institutions of higher education, and other places of educational instruction. It also shares a variety of useful resources.

On behalf of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Safe and Supportive Schools, the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE) invites you to join our next webinar, Understanding Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting and How Educators Can Help.

Wednesday, February 22, 2023

3:00 – 4:30 pm ET

Students across the United States come from a myriad of family backgrounds and cultural traditions that add to the vibrancy and diversity of schools. But what can educators do when these beliefs and practices may result in physical and psychological harm to female students? Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is any partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or any other injury of the female genital organs for nonmedical reasons. Educators are often a first point of intervention for girls who may be at risk of the practice. Because of the secretive and sensitive nature, educators may not know that students are at risk of FGM/C or what they can do to help. In this webinar, we will educate participants about FGM/C, including the number of women potentially at risk; discuss the impacts of the practice; share laws that can be used to protect girls and women; and explore strategies school personnel can use to support students who have been impacted by FGM/C.

Speakers/Panelists

  • Cindy Carraway-Wilson, Training Specialist, National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE)
  • Elyse Robertson, Office of Safe and Supportive Schools in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education at the U.S. Department of Education
  • Dr. Ekwutosi Okoroh, Commander, U.S. Public Health Service, Team Lead, Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Program, Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Dr. Karen McDonnell, Associate Professor, Department of Prevention and Community Health, George Washington University
  • Susan Masling, Senior Trial Attorney, Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice
  • Angela Peabody, Founder and Executive Director, Global Woman® P.E.A.C.E. Foundation
  • Kathryn Finley, Associate Legal Advisor, Human Rights Violator Law Division, Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Webinar Materials

Related Resources

Please contact NCSSLE if you have any questions. We look forward to sharing this information with you and hearing about the important work you are doing in your schools, communities, and states to meet the needs of students and staff.

More on the Lessons from the Field Webinar Series

To access archived materials from previous webinars and to find out what is coming next, go here.


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