Women’s History Month 2026

Black Immigrant Youth Leading Change in NYC

By Zeinab Eyega, Founder & Executive Director

Each year, the National Women’s History Alliance (NWHA) selects a theme for Women’s History Month to highlight the contributions of women shaping our society. This year’s theme—Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future—resonates deeply with the work of Sauti Yetu Center for African Women, an organization founded and led by African immigrant women in the United States.

As we mark Women’s History Month and reflect on what it means to lead change, Sauti Yetu is proud to highlight The Hands Project, a youth-led initiative that embodies this year’s theme. Launched in 2010 by five African high school students who experienced profound discordance between their lived experiences with female genital cutting (FGC) and its portrayal in American education and media, this peer-to-peer initiative had a powerful set of goals: to document the diverse voices and experiences of youth affected by FGC; to reduce stigma and isolation experienced by girls who have undergone the practice; to create opportunities for peer-to-peer dialogue across differing experiences and perspectives; and to encourage thoughtful reflection within communities about traditions, health, and human rights.

Integrating oral storytelling techniques with qualitative research methods, The Hands Project team recruited more than 60 young women and ultimately completed interviews with 29 New York City community members between the ages of 16 and 24 who had both direct and indirect experience with FGC. The conversations were moderated by trained youth facilitators in supportive, trusted spaces—this allowed the young women to speak openly, listen deeply, and learn from one another in sharing how FGC had impacted their lives, identities and perspectives. Together, the participants—interviewers and storytellers alike—gained a clearer understanding of the contributions each of them could make toward creating healthier, safer and more supportive communities. In doing so, The Hands Project empowered youth to engage in social issues affecting their lives—especially efforts to prevent and end the practice of female genital cutting.

This project highlights a powerful truth: too often, immigrant youth—especially girls from communities where FGC is practiced—are excluded from conversations that directly affect them. When their voices are included, they are frequently reduced to a single victim narrative. Yet African immigrant girls hold diverse experiences, opinions, and perspectives about the practice, including thoughtful ideas about how youth can engage in dialogue and change. The Hands Project centers the voices of young women and girls—recognizing them not only as those impacted by FGC, but as leaders capable of shaping perspectives and decisions around the practice within their families and changing the trajectory of the practice of FGC.

At its core, The Hands Project is about trusting Black immigrant girls—believing in their leadership and their ability to shape conversations around issues that impact their lives. When young women are given the space to lead, they become powerful agents of social change. Fifteen years later, the youth who launched the project are now parents, activists and advocates serving in—and leading—their communities. The lessons from The Hands Project continue to guide our work. When we trust Black immigrant girls, and invest in their leadership, we help build communities where every young woman has the power to shape her own future—and lead the change.

Zeinab Eyega is the founder and executive director of Sauti Yetu Center for African Women, a New York–based organization serving immigrant survivors of gender-based violence and their families.

If you or someone you know needs immediate assistance, please call 911.