In May 2023, South Asian SOAR launched a Zine to commemorate and honor the stories of 16 South Asian survivors of gender-based violence who took part in their 2022 pilot storytelling workshop. The program consisted of a Storytelling Workshop, ongoing Story Circles, & additional opportunities to build community and continue working on stories (learn more about the program). The Zine was co-created by and features the stories of survivors, told through narratives, poetry, videos, artwork, and more. One of the pieces featured in the Zine is Sahiyo co-founder and Executive Director Mariya Taher’s story Shattered Silences, from Sahiyo’s Voices to End FGM/C project. SOAR seeks to empower South Asian survivors with the goal of moving towards a future free of violence.

View the Zine here.

On April 14th, Sahiyo U.S.'s Mariya Taher was invited to speak at a panel discussion on female genital cutting (FGC) by Women in International Relations (WIIR), an organization that is part of Tufts’ Institute for Global Leadership at Tisch College. WIIR hosted a panel on FGC as part of a broader conference on the topic of public health and women’s healthcare. Other panelist included Aminata Bah, Copresident of the End FGM European Network, and Dr. Salma Abdalla. 

WIIR aims to explore opportunities for women studying international relations at Tufts, as well as to create a space of dialogue and empowerment through mentorship, networking, and academic discussions and events on women’s rights issues.

The Women Deliver 2023 Conference (WD 2023) is scheduled to take place in-person, as well as virtually, from 17-20 July 2023, in Kigali, Rwanda. The conference is expected to convene 6000 people in Kigali, and over 200,000 people online. 

Before the opening ceremony on July 17th, there will be a series of Pre-Conferences held over two days from July 15-16th. Sahiyo is incredibly proud to co-host and be part of the planning of this year’s Pre-conference on FGM/C -Catalyzing Global Action to End FGM/C. 

About FGM/C Preconference:

The FGM/C Pre-Conference, Catalyzing Global Action to End FGM/C, will be a space of shared solidarity, bringing together activists and organizations working to end FGM/C across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and America. It will promote knowledge exchange, interregional collaboration, and global cooperation with the aim of catalyzing collective action and movement building, designing actionable commitments, and working toward substantive structural change.

Hosts: The Global Platform to End FGM/C, Orchid Project, ARROW, End FGM European Network, Sahiyo, Equality Now, Amref Health Africa, The Girl Generation, IPPF ARAB World Region, U.S. End FGM/C Network, and End FGM Canada Network

Date and time: July 16, 2023 from 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM CAT

More information: https://www.wd2023.org/pre-conferences

About Women Deliver 2023:

The Women Deliver 2023 Conference, using intersectional feminist principles, will address a wide range of issues impacting girls and women– including (but not limited to) climate change, gender- based violence (GBV) and unpaid care work. The theme of WD2023 is Spaces, Solidarity and Solutions. Learn more about the Conference here.  

History of the Global Platform: 

At the FGM/C Pre-Conference ahead of Women Deliver 2019 in Vancouver Canada, the organisations that would come to make up the Global Platform for Action to end FGM/C came together in recognition of the imperative for us to work together - as civil society, donors and allies – to make FGM/C a practice of the past. This represented the first time that global FGM/C activists from Africa to Europe, from Australia to Asia and to North America came together to unite voices around a global call to action to end FGM/C. The Asia Network to end FGM/C was also formed during Women Deliver 2019.

The global and regional partnerships that were formed on that occasion have grown and strengthened their internal cooperation, working towards common advocacy goals at the regional and global levels respectively.

On May 30th, RTI International will hostg a virtual workshop to educate those in the social work profession on female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). 

This workshop, approved by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and available for continuing education units, will provide an introductory foundation for understanding what FGM/C is, including its prevalence in the U.S. and globally, and the role of social workers in addressing and responding to this issue. In addition, the workshop will share key competencies and best practices for working with survivors of FGM/C. Workshop Facilitators will be U.S. Executive Director Mariya Taher, and U.S. End FGM/C Network Director Caitlin LeMay.

Event Details:
Date: Tuesday, May 30th
Time: 3-5 pm ET 

Register for the virtual event here.

On May 30th, RTI International hosted a training for social workers on female genital cutting (FGC). Recognizing that many first responders and clinical providers in the U.S. are not adequately equipped to address FGC in their practice, this training provided continuing education units for licensed social workers. The training provided an introductory foundation for understanding what FGC is, including its prevalence in the U.S. and globally, and best practices for working with survivors of FGC. Overall, the workshop sought to increase attendees’ confidence in talking about and addressing FGC in their practice and provided resources to build further knowledge on the topic.

On March 13th, Sahiyo held our first Voices to End FGM/C Healing Circle in partnership with StoryCenter and Asian Women’s Shelter. As the Voices to End FGM/C project has grown over the past 5 years with over 60 participants, storytellers have asked to be able to connect in other ways. After receiving feedback via a survey on what additional support structures would be helpful for our program participants, we initiated the Voices to End FGM/C Healing Circles. These Healing Circles continue to provide a safe space for our past project participants to hold conversations with one another on FGM/C; to reflect on their journey in sharing their story; and continue to  strengthen their support systems in place by building community with Voices participants from other cohorts. 

On April 28th, Karen McDonnell, Associate Professor at George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health partnered with Sahiyo Cofounder Mariya Taher to provide a training for nearly 70 health care providers at the Prince George County Health Department on female genital cutting (FGC) and the role of health care professionals in prevention and patient support. Health care providers are important first-responders when it comes to servicing those impacted by FGC, and there is an ever demanding need for culturally cognizant and sensitive training for health care providers in the U.S. This training provided information on the impact of FGC in the U.S. along with practical guidance on how to work with survivors. Resources such as GWU’s Educational FGM/C toolkits for providers were also shared.

Sahiyo is happy to announce we’re hosting our first hybrid-format Voices to End FGM/C Digital Storytelling Workshop this August 2023! During this workshop, each participant will learn to create their own video through the use of voiceover audio, still images, and video clips. This participatory media process will be guided by facilitators from Sahiyo, StoryCenter, and Asian Women’s Shelter. 

Online Workshop Dates: Tues, Aug 15th & Tue, Aug 22nd (via Zoom)

In-person Workshop Dates: Sat, Aug 26th & Sun, Aug 27th

In-person Workshop Location: Oakland, California. 

Who Can Apply: Individuals living in the U.S. who have experienced FGM/C, as well as family members, friends, advocates, and others living in the U.S. who would like to share a story about the impact of FGM/C in their lives. 

Application Link: https://bit.ly/VoicesWorkshop2023. 

Application Deadline: July 15th

TRAVEL SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE for all who are accepted into the program and in need of financial support to attend the workshop!

To learn more about the Voices workshop experience, watch our behind the scenes video.