GiGi Gianni to speak at United Nations ahead of World Down Syndrome Day

At GiGi’s Playhouse, we believe Down Syndrome deserves to be celebrated on the world’s stage. On Thursday, March 20, GiGi Gianni is doing everything she can to ensure that happens.

GiGi, the 22-year-old namesake and Chief Inspiration Officer of GiGi’s Playhouse, will be taking the stage at the United Nations Headquarters in New York ahead of World Down Syndrome Day. A self-advocate, GiGi will speak to a global audience as part of the Center for Family & Human Rights panel on increasing support systems for individuals with Down syndrome. GiGi’s speech will center on her life, her journey, and the inherent value of all individuals with Down syndrome.

While speaking before the United Nations may seem daunting to many, GiGi is embracing the moment.

“I’m so excited to speak in front of the United Nations,” said GiGi. “I can’t wait to talk about how me and all my friends with Down syndrome deserve to be celebrated.”

Nancy Gianni, GiGi’s mother and Chief Belief Officer of GiGi’s Playhouse, will join GiGi on the panel, highlighting GiGi’s Playhouse’s dedication to empowering the Down syndrome community.

This isn’t the first time GiGi’s Playhouse has been on the global stage. In 2023, GiGi and Nancy Gianni went to the United Nations to meet dignitaries from Qatar, where they had a chance to speak about Down syndrome and the power of inclusion.

Now, the mother-daughter duo is back again. This time, GiGi is making sure that people with Down syndrome are not just part of the conversation, but they help lead it.

However, this cause—empowering and celebrating the Down syndrome community—is bigger than any single person, whether it’s GiGi, Nancy, or the countless other inspiring advocates.

GiGi’s Playhouse and our entire network of 61+ Playhouses work tirelessly to empower individuals with Down syndrome and their families through our FREE educational and therapeutic programs.

But we don’t just provide programming; we also create spaces where entire communities can see firsthand that individuals with Down syndrome are capable of much more than limited expectations or misplaced sympathy. They lead full, rich lives.

GiGi herself is living proof of this. As she takes the stage on Thursday, GiGi will not only represent herself; she will represent the entire Down syndrome community. Her message to the world will be clear: individuals with Down syndrome have inherent value and meaningful contributions to make—they just need the world to listen.